


Partners

by KiannaLeigh



Series: Magical Shift [1]
Category: Mahou Sensei Negima!
Genre: M/M, Male Pregnancy, Male Slash, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-08
Updated: 2010-09-08
Packaged: 2017-11-29 07:56:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiannaLeigh/pseuds/KiannaLeigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a moment of desperation, Negi and Kotaro enter a Pactio. However the results are not what they expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1st Period: Shock! A contract with Kotaro?

The magical blast rocked the small shelter that Negi had quickly had made and was hiding in with Kotaro. The 16 year old fox growled. "We're dead," he said under his breath as he braced himself against the wall of the shelter. "Dead, dead, dead."

Negi looked up from repairing his broken wand. "Well, actually," he said, in a deep voice that had long since long it's girlish edge. "I can think of one thing. But you won't like it."

Kotaro, thrown to the floor after another blast, glared at him. "Will it get me out of this mess you and you damned father created?" Negi nodded. "Then I like it. Spill."

The whole reason Kotaro was in this mess in the first place was Negi and his father's fault. An ex-girlfriend of Nagi Springfield a.k.a. the Thousand Master had come to Negi in search of him. But Negi had no idea where he was. Still! When the woman he found this out she flew into a rage and instead of wanting to kill Nagi she settled on killing his son and Kotaro, who only just happened the be there. So now they were hiding from the sorceress Alexandra, and her monstrous dragon pet.

Negi sighed. "Well, okay then. But I warned you." He stood up with his repaired wand. "You'd have to make a contract with me."

Kotaro blinked. "A contract?" The fox thought about it. When those human girls had made a contract with him they had gotten very powerful, so powerful they could stand up to demons. If he, a powerful dog demon, made a contract with him he could be unstoppable. Never mind he was only half demon. With the power of a Pactio added to his own strength, even the Thousand Master wouldn't be able to take him down. And then he could kill him for getting him in this mess in the first place. Kotaro smiled. "That's a great idea! Let do it!"

Negi shook his head. "You haven't heard why you won't like it. You have to kiss me, remember?" The mage smiled apologetically before adding: "All the girls did."

Kotaro took a half step back. No way was he going to kiss Negi. But then again... A blast shook the shelter and threatened to bring it down. The red haired magi could be heard screaming shouting insults outside. Then again, it might be their only choice. Hell, it actually was their only choice, aside from dying. "Alright then," he grumbled. "Let's do this already and get it over with."

Negi nodded and started drawing on the ground with a piece of rock. After sketching a crude magical circle he looked up at Kotaro. "Okay," he said above the next earth shaking blast. "It's done."

Slowly Kotaro approached Negi. He was going to just quickly kiss him but found it was harder to do that than he thought it would be. He was stalling, just staring at the magical circle on the ground. No choice or not, he was about to kiss his best friend and rival. Slowly he looked up and Negi pressed his lips against his. Kotaro stood there shocked and felt a strange warmth flood through him.

Negi pulled away and smiled. "It's all done," he said. "Just take the card and active it." Kotaro took the card. It had the picture of him mostly naked with some sort of fur clothing covering what needed to be covered. Why was it all these showed the user in such skimpy outfits. When the shelter cracked under the strain of another explosion, Kotaro forgot about the outfit and activated the card. The same warmth as before flooded him and he rose a little feeling lightheaded.

Kotaro dropped to the ground and looked at himself. He was dressed in a fur tank top like shirt with leather straps, fur shorts and leg warmers and no shoes. He also had whiskers which was odd even for the hanyou. It was the same as the picture on the card. Negi smiled at him. "You'll get used to that. Come on. Let's end this." Kotaro nodded his head and jumped from the shelter. He almost landed right on the dragon's nose he jumped so for. 'So strong,' he thought. 'This must be the power of a contract.' The battle after that didn't take much time. The mage and her dragon retreated very soon after Kotaro and Negi emerged from the shelter.

Negi smiled at Kotaro and sighed. "Some day we've had, huh?" Kotaro only turned away and nodded. Negi came up behind him. He draped his arm over the dog's shoulder. "Hungry," he said in his ear. "My partners always are after they get a power up." Kotaro was about to say something when there was a pop and he was back to normal. Negi shrugged. "It must have worn off." He squeezed Kotaro playfully. "Let's get something to eat. You must be starving."

Kotaro could feel Negi's hot breath in his ear and swallowed. "No. I'm not hungry."

Negi took hold of his arm and pressed himself against the dog. "Come on," he commanded cheerfully.

Kotaro slapped him away. "I said I'm not hungry!" He looked at Negi, who looked shocked and hurt, and bowed his head. "Sorry. I'm tired."

Negi gave a tentative smile. "Okay Kotaro. See ya later then?"

Kotaro nodded then walked off knowing Negi was watching him leave. He tried to walk as normally as possible to hide the fact that he was aroused. Kotaro took a deep breath and began to run. He jumped up over a building and looked to his destination: Library Island.

**Next time: 2nd Period: Confusion! The books don't say anything about this!**


	2. 2nd Period: Confusion! The books don't say anything about this!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kotaro panics at the contract's side-effects but finds it may not be as bad as he first assumes.

Kotaro whimpered as Negi ran his hand up the inside of his thigh just barely touching his erection. Negi smiled. "You want this don't you Kotaro-kun?" Kotaro shuttered.

"Please. Oh Negi, please." Kotaro had tears in his eyes. Negi winked.

"Sure. I'll help you out." Negi lowered himself down and kissed Kotaro's hard on. "Just leave everything to me." Running his hand over Kotaro's length Negi opened his mouth. Kotaro strained against the bands that held him to the wall. Negi's mouth came closer and closer to Kotaro's cock and then…

Kotaro woke with a start. He was panting and had an agonizing throbbing between his legs. Shuttering Kotaro ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair. "Not again," he muttered. "Today I'm going back there and I'm not leaving until I find out what's going on with me." Kotaro had been having these dreams for a week now. Ever since he had kissed Negi and made a contract with him these dreams had been hammering him. They were even worse whenever he activated the contract.

Kotaro got up slowly and made his way to the shower. Standing under the cold water the inu sighed. He was sick of feeling this way and he was sick of not knowing why he felt this way. The books he read at Library Island didn't help at all. They told him about the Pact he made with Negi. Apparently along with increasing his power to protect Negi - his Magister- in battle he could also telepathically communicate with him using his copy of the pactio card. Kotaro also learned that Negi could summon him with his card - the original - from up to ten kilometers away and that with an increase of magical strength that distance could be lengthened. That way, he and Negi could be together whenever needed.

Plus Kotaro, who was used to fighting more or less hand to hand, now had a weapon at his disposal - a chain whip with a claw like multi-bladed sword on the end - which could be stored in the card along with changes of clothes for battle situations. The books also said that after the use of the contract ended the partner was usually very hungry due to the output of energy. He had also noted that the number of pactios a Magister could keep and therefore the number of Ministers he or she could have was directly connected to his or her own power level. Considering Negi's number of partners, Kotaro thought it was safe to say he was more powerful than he had guessed. However none of this solved his problem.

Kotaro slammed his forehead against the shower door. He didn't have the usual side effects of activating the pactio. He should have been hungry and tired, according to the books. Instead he got excited and wanted to screw the western mage. Still feeling aroused Kotaro put a shaking hand on his manhood. He moaned as the pumped his erection and pressed himself up against the door, cheek pressed against the glass. "Aaaa," he whispered into the glass. "Negi. Negi!" The dog demon came all over the glass of the door then slumped down to his knees onto the floor. Banging his forehead softly against the glass he asked what he wanted to know more than anything. "Why? Why, why, why?"

Slowly the dog got up and exited the shower. He got dressed and walked out of his apartment. Unfortunately Negi was right outside the door. He smiled brightly. "Hi, Kotaro," he chirped.

Kotaro stiffened. "Uhh. Hi."

Negi's face dropped a little. "Is something wrong," he asked Kotaro who was edging away.

Kotaro shook his head. "No. Well yes. I- That is - I'm late! Yeah, that's it! Late."

Negi tilted his head to one side. "Late? For what?"

Kotaro slid pass the wizard and stepped away from him. "The library." With that he ran off leaving a bewildered Negi behind.

Kotaro made it to Library Island in record time. Walking through the door he bumped into Nodoka. "Hey Bookstore."

The blue haired girl smiled. "Hello Kotaro-kun. What's up?"

Kotaro sighed. "Well… Actually could we sit down so I could talk to you?" Nodoka nodded and the two walked deep into the library. They picked an out of the way spot to sit in and Nodoka stared at Kotaro.

"So what's wrong?" she asked.

Kotaro looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He could look her full in the face when he was going to ask her what he was. "Well" he began carefully. "I made a contract with Negi."

Nodoka squealed. "Really? That's great. Isn't it awesome to activate it?"

Kotaro nodded nervously. "Yeah. But it has some side effects on me."

Nodoka raised her eye brows. "You mean, being hungry?"

Kotaro turned away so Nodoka wouldn't see him blush. "No. Something else."

Nodoka merely just "Oh"ed in obvious comfusion. "Well if it's not that I don't know what to tell you," she muttered apologetically. "Maybe you should ask Eva-chan!" the library buff offered excitedly. "She's here you know, down in the lower levels." Kotaro nodded his thanks and walked away.

The dog headed to the stairs and had gotten half way down them before he realized that the island was huge and the lower levels went on forever. Kotaro sighed. "Great." The dog teen jumped down the remainder of the stairs and glanced around. "I should be able to sense her… maybe."

Two hours. It had been two hours and still there was still no sign of Eva-chan. Kotaro slumped down next to a pile of books. "Stupid Eva-chan. Bitchy old hag!" Suddenly a book hit the dog in the head.

"Hag? You better watch your mouth dog breath!" Eva walked out from behind a book case followed by Chachamaru. Still in the body of a ten-year-old, she glared like an angry old woman. "You better have a good reason for calling me a hag." Kotaro slumped over.

"Sorry," he muttered. Looking up at Eva he squirmed a bit in his place on the floor. "Hey, I have a question to ask you."

Eva put her hand on her chin as she heard Kotaro out. It took the half-demon a few minutes and several questions to finally tell Eva the whole story. After she heard it she looked down at him and laughed. "You fool. Is that really all?"

Kotaro growled. "Well … yes. It's weird."

Eva laughed again. "Okay right. Tell you what. Go to our little professor's apartment tonight and look in the window. Watch him as he sleeps. Then come back and tell me what your feeling is "weird"." Laughing again Eva retreated into the shadows followed by Chachamaru.

Kotaro looked after them with a deep frown. However after considering all his options - which were few to begin with - he decided that taking the little vampire's advice wasn't the worst thing he could do. That night he snuck up to Negi's window. In his hand was a book that Bookstore had given him on various side effects of the magical partnership. He had underlined a certain passage seeing as she had told him he could keep the book. The passage said: "In the event of repressed sexual feelings between partners both may go through severe sexual dreams. These dreams will be worsened after periods of an activated contract. Both partners will experience this symptom."

Kotaro looked over the passage for the millionth time. If it was right Negi should be going through the same thing as him. And that meant… Kotaro shook his head. That was impossible! He and Negi were childhood friends. They were rivals. Besides, Negi was human and humans had a taboo against same sex relationships. Kotaro steadied himself with the knowledge that this situation couldn't possibly be what the book said it was and looked through Negi's bedroom window. The wizard had been sleeping when he first arrived but was now thrashing in him bed. His face was twisted up and he was panting. Kotaro, half worried and half curious jumped to the window sill from the tree branch he was perched on and pressed his ear to the glass. He was surprised to find Negi saying his name. He was even more surprised to find him moaning it.

Negi sat up with a start. Panting still he wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The wizard lay back in bed and kicked the blankets away from him. Kotaro nearly fell off the sill as he saw the bulge in Negi's sleepwear. He stared transfixed as Negi pulled down his pants and released his erection. Kotaro saw a shutter run through Negi as he grasped his almost visibly throbbing manhood and started to stroke it. Letting his head fall back Negi closed his eyes. "Kotaro. Ahh." Kotaro watched as a deep blush spread over the teen professor's face. "Ko ... ta ... ro!" Negi came with a violent jerk then went limp.

Kotaro watch as Negi's breathing returned to normal and he sat up. The dog looked down to avoid having his eyes fall on Negi's now flaccid length. He turned to go, jumping back onto the tree branch, when he suddenly heard his name. "Kotaro. Is that you?" Kotaro turned back and saw Negi sitting up with his legs over the side of the bed. He was facing the window and was staring out it at him. "Kotaro? Did you like that. Watching me, I mean."

**Next Time:** **3rd Period: Impossible! I think I love you.**


	3. 3rd Period: Impossible! I think I love you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amid the confusion, Negi and Kotaro come together.

Kotaro's heart was pounding. Negi smiled slyly at him and stood up. "I thought you would like seeing that." Kotaro gulped as the window opened on its own and a breeze seemed to start to pull him inside the room. Negi stood there smiling at him and Kotaro found himself moving toward the open side of the window. Without wanting to Kotaro entered the room and went to Negi. When he reached him Negi glanced around quickly as if he making sure they were alone, and put his arms around the dog. "Kotaro," he said under his breath. "Tell me what you want."

Kotaro was shaking. The feelings he was trying so hard to suppress were floating to the top. Kotaro moaned slightly as Negi pushed his way into his pants and began to stroke his length. "Come on Kotaro. You have to talk to me. I just want to…" For a moment the teen wizard halted. Kotaro saw a flash of hesitation in his eyes.

Kotaro smirked trying to get the upper hand. "You don't know what you want, do you?" Negi glared and frowned at him. He squeezed Kotaro's manhood sending a shock wave up the dog demon's spine.

"All I want," Negi said firmly, "is to hear you scream my name as I pound into you." Kotaro shut his eyes and whimpered, thereby missing the quick look of relief and shock that flew across Negi's features.

'I want that too,' Kotaro thought and almost said.

"I heard that," Negi muttered. Kotaro flinched as he looked at the mage. He had forgotten Negi had gotten better at reading minds.

Suddenly Negi kissed Kotaro's neck causing the inu to shiver. "I want you," Negi whispered into his flesh. Kotaro only whimpered and nodded. Negi took a step forward pushing him, Kotaro stepped back in response. This went on until Negi had Kotaro backed up against the bed. Negi gently pushed Kotaro down and kissed him on the mouth.

Kotaro wrapped his arms around Negi and pulled him closer. "Negi I-"

"Shh," Negi cut him off. "Quiet." Negi smiled gently but firmly at him then began working on undressing the demon. After a second of fighting with a stuck zipper Negi rolled his eyes and whispered something in Latin. The dog's clothes suddenly were torn to shreds, leaving him naked and at the mercy of mage on top of him.

Negi stroked Kotaro's hard length. Kotaro, eyes shut, fought against the tide of want that threatened to wash him away. He never saw look that Negi was casting down at him. "You want it?" the mage asked the trembling dog. Kotaro nodded. "Then say so," he commanded.

Kotaro wanted to keep his eyes shut but knew as a matter of pride he must meet mage's gaze. He looked up at Negi, focusing on his eyes and spoke. "I want it. Take me."

Negi nodded slowly in approval, like a teacher to his student. "Lie on your stomach," he said as he got off the inu. The dark haired male stood up and looked at the red head. After glancing down and getting an eyeful of Negi erect manhood he then turned and crawled on all fours onto the bed, lying himself down in the center of the bed. After a moment, he felt Negi's weight on the bed.

The dark haired fox heard words being whispered in Latin and wondered what Negi could be doing. He got his answer when suddenly it felt as if his entrance was being stretched out and lubricated. "Negi," Kotaro groaned as he trying to get up. "Can't you do that yourself?"

Negi pushed him back down on the bed. "It's easier this way and there's almost no chance I'll hurt you." Kotaro squirmed as the onrush of magical air expanded, further stretching him. The inu let out a short moan as and air moved forward and hit against something inside him. He heard Negi give short laugh. "You like that?"

The dog went to growl but the air brushed up against that same spot. Kotaro found himself backing up slightly to increase the contact. Negi then did something Kotaro never saw coming. He hit him on his backside with a little whip. "Don't do that Kotaro-kun or I'll have to punish you," he said. "We'll get to that soon enough," he added in a whisper. The magical air moved forward again but Kotaro didn't back up to meet it. He wasn't fond of being hit.

Suddenly the air vanished and was replaced by the tip of the mage's erection. "Ready?" Negi asked. Kotaro responded by pushing himself backward to force Negi into him but that only caused Negi to back up and hit his back with the whip. Kotaro whimpered.

"I was trying to say that I'm ready."

Negi nodded and hummed. "I know," he whispered. "Just don't tell me like that. Say it." Kotaro wanted to bury his head in a pillow.

"I… I'm ready. I want it. Now!" Kotaro could almost feel Negi smirk as he pushed into him for the first time. Kotaro groaned under the pressure but adjusted soon enough. Knowing what he had to do for more he said quietly: "Harder."

Negi ran his hand over the dog's back and granted his wish. He back out of him almost completely then rushed forward. Kotaro almost didn't have time to moan before Negi repeated the action. The mage teen pounded into Kotaro but before the dog could reach his much needed climax at Negi's hands he pulled out of him and backed away.

Kotaro turned quickly toward the wizard, enraged he would just stop like that. "Why the hell did you-" He was cut off by Negi's lips on his. The two fell back on the bed and Kotaro was excited to feel Negi wrestling him. The human was a bit demonic after all. They two proceeded to claw at each other in a fight for power. Negi won and Kotaro found Negi between his thighs.

Negi smiled down at him as he entered the inu agonizingly slowly. Kotaro squirmed and began to pant. "Negi. Quit screwing around and take me." Negi laughed a little. "Your wish is my command," he taunted before beginning to pound into Kotaro once more. This time he didn't stop until he and Kotaro came, each shouting the other's name.

Negi pulled out of Kotaro and the two collapsed into a pile of sweating limbs and panting bodies. Negi moved closer to Kotaro and possessively took hold of his arm. "What was it you were going to say before?" Kotaro opened his half-asleep eyes and smiled.

"Negi," he said.

"Yes," responded the mage.

"I think… I think I might be in love with you."

**Next Time:** **3rd Period all over: Negi's POV**


	4. 3rd Period all over: Negi's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The previous chapter written from Negi's point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire story is a rewrite of a previous fanfiction written when I still sort of sucked at writing. Hence the previous chapter was hard to write in only Kotaro's POV because of how the story was original written with Negi being so very OOC. So this version shows us this yummy scene from the point of view of the teen teacher, which explains as many of the character flaws as I could.

Negi could almost hear Kotaro's heart pounding. Negi smiled shyly at him and stood up. "I thought you would like seeing that." Negi opened the window with a breeze pulled Kotaro inside the room. He stood there smiling as Kotaro moved toward the open side of the window. Negi watched as the dog demon slowly closed the distance between them. When he reached him Negi glanced away quickly, deep red painting his cheeks then put his arms around the dog. "Kotaro," he said under his breath. "Tell me what you want."

Kotaro was shaking in his arms. The feelings Negi had worked hard suppress were floating to the top as he felt the dog's heart beat against his. Kotaro moaned slightly into his ear as Negi pushed his way into his pants and began to stroke his length. "Come on Kotaro," he muttered. "You have to talk to me. I just want to…" For a moment the teen wizard halted. Hesitation swept over him. What was he doing? Was this really going to work?

Kotaro smirked at him, as if he knew this was all a big bluff. "You don't know what you want, do you?" Negi glared and small pout formed on his face. He squeezed Kotaro's manhood sending a shock wave up the inu's spine.

"All I want," Negi said firmly," is to hear you scream my name as I pound into you." Kotaro shut his eyes and whimpered, thereby missing the quick look of relief and shock that flew across Negi's features. The mage couldn't believe that had worked!

'I want that too,' Kotaro thought.

Negi smiled, mostly to himself. "I heard that," he muttered. Kotaro flinched. Negi figured he had forgotten hat all he needed to read minds now was a bit of skin to skin contact.

Suddenly Negi kissed Kotaro's neck causing the dog to shiver. "I want you," Negi whispered into his flesh. Kotaro only whimpered and nodded. Negi took a step forward. Kotaro stepped back to match him. This went on until Negi had Kotaro backed up against the bed. Negi gently pushed Kotaro down and kissed him on the mouth. This was working out so well!

Kotaro wrapped his arms around Negi and pulled him closer. "Negi I-"

"Shh," Negi cut him off. "Quiet." Negi smiled gently but firmly at him then began working on undressing the half-demon. After a second of fighting with a stuck zipper Negi rolled his eyes in frustration. Getting stuck on a zipper was probably not hot! Thinking quickly he whispered something in Latin. The dog's clothes were torn to shreds leaving the dog naked and at the mercy of his will. Inwardly Negi did a little cheerleading dance for himself.

Negi stroked Kotaro's hard length. Kotaro had eyes shut and seemed to be enjoying Negi's touch which was a relief to the mage. He worried that his movements weren't good enough and was utterly nervous. "You want it," the mage asked the trembling dog, managing to keep his voice as even as possible. Kotaro nodded. "Then say so."

Kotaro slowly opened his eyes and looked at him. The mage couldn't help but get lost in the intense look in the dog's eyes. He was staring straight into his eyes and Negi couldn't help but think the demon could see right into his soul. "I want it. Take me."

Negi smiled a little and nodded slowly, in complete shock. He was going to top? "Lie on your stomach," he said as he got off the inu. The Kotaro stood up and looked at him. Negi saw him glance down before turning and crawling on all fours onto the bed then lying himself down in the center of the bed. Negi watched in all in shock.

When his Master had come to him that afternoon to talk to him he hadn't believed a word she said. Kotaro and him together. He hadn't been able to believe it. And things she told him to do and say! It had been too embarrassing to masturbate knowing Kotaro was watching. However Master had insisted he follow her directions for the night. "Don't shame your Master!" she had told him. So he was acting how he was told to. He was only shock it was working out so well. Maybe Kotaro liked this sort of thing. The dog always had been a little bit more grown up then he was.

Getting on the bed Negi loomed over Kotaro and muttered a spell Master had taught him and forced him to perfect that afternoon. It sent a small stream of almost solid air into Kotaro's entrance so it could stretch it out and lubricate it. "Negi," Kotaro groaned as he tried to get up. "Can't you do that yourself?"

Negi pushed him back down on the bed. So Kotaro did like that sort of thing. However Negi wouldn't even know where to start if he tried to do this by hand. "It's easier this way and there's almost no chance I'll hurt you," he told him. Kotaro squirmed as the onrush of magical air expanded, further stretching him. The inu gave a short moan as the air moved forward and pushed deep inside him. Negi gave a sound of surprise. "You like that?" he asked and pushed the air forward again. Kotaro backed up, probably to increase the contact and but Negi remembered what Evangeline had said about that. Swallowing his nervousness he flicked the little whip he'd hidden with a stream of air and sent it to him. Then he hit Kotaro on his butt with it. "Don't do that Kotaro-kun or I'll have to punish you," he said, using the sort of phrase his Master had taught him that day. "We'll get to that soon enough," he assured. He moved the magical air moved forward again but Kotaro didn't back up to meet it. Negi guessed the whip had worked even if he wasn't sure if Kotaro had liked it.

Negi removed the air after a moment and pressed the tip of his manhood where it had been. "Ready?" Negi asked trying to keep him nervousness out of his voice. Kotaro responded by pushing himself backward to force him inside. Negi almost let it happen but then went back to his training. He hit Kotaro on the back with the whip.

Kotaro whimpered but it sounded like he enjoyed that. Negi was glad Kotaro couldn't see his face. He was bright red. "I was trying to say that I'm ready." Negi nodded and hummed.

"I know," he whispered. "Just don't tell me like that. Say it." Kotaro made a groaning sound. The teen teacher was shocked at how aroused he was. From the sound Kotaro made he really wanted this.

"I… I'm ready. I want it. Now!" Negi nodded to himself, amazing that Kotaro's arousal was so overwhelming it kept him from speaking straight. With a determined look he slid into his partner slowly. Kotaro groaned from under him and all too soon adjusted to him. "Harder," Kotaro ordered from his place beneath the mage.

Negi ran his hand over the dog's back, half nervous about this - was a virgin after all - and half too horny to give a damn about anything. He granted the dog's wish without thinking. Backing out of him almost completely Negi hoped he wouldn't hurt the inu and rushed forward. Kotaro let out a short moan which Negi found incredibly encouraging before Negi repeated the action. The mage teen pounded into Kotaro but found that despite his Master's instructions it just wasn't satisfying to have Kotaro that way. Negi he pulled out of his lover and backed away.

Kotaro turned so quickly toward the wizard it almost scared him. He obviously didn't appreciate the pause.

"Why the hell did you-" he started but Negi cut him off with his lips on his. The two fell back on the bed. Negi thought they were going to kiss but instead he found himself wrestling with Kotaro in the mist of their kissing in a fight for power. Negi - to surprise - won and found himself between Kotaro's legs.

Negi smiled as he entered the dog slowly. This had gone too well. Never in his wildest dreams could this night have happened. Kotaro squirmed under him and began to pant in a cute, needy way. "Negi," the dog said, the word being little more than a gasp. "Quit screwing around and take me." Negi chuckled a little. Kotaro certainly was commanding. Even in bed he was so forceful and in control.

"Your wish is my command," he said obediently before beginning to take Kotaro once more. This time he didn't stop until he and Kotaro came, each shouting the other's name.

Negi pulled out of Kotaro and the two collapsed into a pile of sweating limbs and panting bodies. Negi scooted closer to Kotaro and hugged his arm just to feel him near and prove to himself this wasn't a dream. "What was it you were going to say before?" he asked in a low voice. Kotaro opened his half-asleep eyes and smiled.

"Negi," he said.

"Yes," responded the mage.

"I think… I think I might be in love with you."

**Next Time:** **4th Period: Oh shit! A baby on the way?**


	5. 4th Period: Oh shit! A baby on the way?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kotaro and Negi like their relationship but sex does have its consequences.

Kotaro opened his eyes suddenly as if he had been pinched. He sat up in a bed that was not his and looked around a room that was not his. Without thinking the inu knew where he was and why he was there. He ran a hand through his tangled locks. "Not a dream," he muttered.

Kotaro glanced around in search of his clothes but found them gone. He wasn't sure why he was surprised. Negi was a neat freak; there was no way he'd leave a pile of clothes on his floor. Sighing he got out of bed leaving it empty. Kotaro took it upon himself to go into Negi's closet and pick out some clothes. He thanked god they were the same size and figured the mage wouldn't mind him borrowing something to wear.

Leaving the room Kotaro walked out into the small hallway and looked right, toward the living room. He was going to go that way when his ears picked up the sound of the shower. Usually he would have gone the other way but he figured since he had slept with him he was allowed to walk in on Negi in the shower. It's not like he would see something he hadn't before.

Kotaro peeked into the room and called out softly. "Negi? You in here?"

Negi's voice came from inside the shower. "Nope," it said cheerfully. Kotaro rolled his eyes and was about to leave when Negi called out to him again. "Kotaro, you didn't get dressed while all stinky from sex did you?"

Kotaro sniffed himself. He did stink a little. Shrugging he pulled off the clothes he had just put on and stepped in the shower behind Negi. The mage had been washing his hair turned and smiled at him. He gave him a tiny kiss on the mouth and looked at him shyly. "So what kind of shower do you want this to be?" Kotaro smiled but shook his head.

"No sex," he said firmly. Negi nodded swiftly and after another kiss went back to washing his hair. As Kotaro started to clean himself up he noticed that Negi seemed to be back to normal. The sarcastic attitude was gone and he was his normal sweet self. Kotaro leaned over then mage and watched him only to see him blush when he noticed him doing so.

"I-Is something wrong Kotaro?" Negi asked. Kotaro leaned down, bringing his face up to Negi's. The mage blushed terribly and started stuttering. "W-w-w-hat i-is it, K-kotaro-kun?" Kotaro backed up and shook his head.

"Nothing. You're just cute, that's all." The dog smiled and watched Negi blush and smile to himself before going back to washing his hair. Kotaro shook his head while wondering where the dark aggressive Negi had gone. Maybe he was only that way when aroused. He supposed he find out eventually.

After the shower the two teens got dressed and headed to the kitchen. "So, what do you want to eat," Negi chirped.

"Besides you?" Kotaro replied. Negi blushed as red as a cherry before Kotaro just laughed. He guessed aggressive Negi really had left the building. "Eggs are fine. With bacon or sausage if you have it," he said before sitting at Negi's table like he owned the place.

Negi nodded and went to work making breakfast. Kotaro watched the mage cook and realized what a nice housewife he'd make. He could see him in a little apron. Or in a leather outfit. Housewife by day, dominatrix by night. Kotaro grinned. That would be hot. He came out of his fantasies of the mage when Negi set his plate down. The two ate in relative silence and had almost finished up when Negi spoke.

"So who are we gonna tell first?" he asked cheerfully.

Kotaro looked up from his eggs. "Hmm," he muttered. "Tell what?"

Negi smiled. "Tell that we're a couple."

Kotaro choked. "A couple? You and me? But…"

Negi glared at the inu with a pout on his face. "So what was last night? Just some onetime thing?"

Kotaro half stood and leaned across the table to grab Negi's hand. "No," he said quickly. "No it wasn't! It's just that…"

Negi's eyes softened. "You're not ready are you? To call us a couple." Kotaro shook his head. Negi leaned back in his chair. "Okay then I'll give you three weeks. After that I start telling people." Negi smiled and gave a wink.

XXX

Three weeks later as promised Negi glanced over at Asuna, ready to tell her. "Asuna, I have something to tell you," he said over ice cream. They were at a café in the shopping district not far from the campus. "Kotaro and I are together."

Asuna looked up from her ice cream cone. "Really," she said in mild surprise. "So you finally took my advice and jumped him?"

Negi blushed a little. "No, no. Nothing like that." He paused. "Well kind of. It's weird and Master is involved so-"

Asuna shrugged. "It's okay. Save it. It's no business of mine how it happened so long as it did." She looked over at Negi and smiled in an elder sister kind of way. "I'm proud of you, Negi."

"Yes, little Boya. We're all proud." Out of the shadows stepped Eva-chan followed as always by the robotic Chachamaru. She was smiling. "So you and Kotaro finally shacked up, huh?" Negi waved off the rudeness of the comment with little chuckle.

"Master. Please down it in that vulgar way. But in general we did. Thanks in part to you."

Eva smiled. "We'll I couldn't just let you two go off on your own. You're both so innocent that you'd be tripping all over yourselves trying to get down to business."

Negi blushed and frowned. "We're not so innocent," he insisted before bowing his head. "Thanks Master" he added.

Eva smiled and Chachamaru stepped forward. "For you Professor," she said handing him a small package with holes. "And please, don't cover up the holes." Negi heard a small meow form inside the box and chuckled.

"Of course not," he assured the robot.

XXX

Kotaro heard a whisper as he walked by a group of girls. The inu looked back and they giggled. Under his hat the dog demon's ears turned back. Going back to his walk he passed another group of people who looked him over for just a minute too long for his comfort. He glared at them and walked faster. Why was it that every group of students that he passed stared at him?

Kotaro growled as he turned a corner. This was maddening. Another group of teens stared at him and whispered as he walked past them. He sped up to get away and ended up bumping right into Nodoka.

The blue hair girl smiled at him. "Hi Kotaro!" she chirped softly.

"Hey Bookstore," Kotaro muttered. He was happy that someone was acting normally. "Sorry about knocking into you. I'm having a bad day."

Nodaka nodded. "It's okay," he assured him before silence fell between them. Kotaro shifted uncomfortably. He felt as she was waiting for something. "So…" she said.

The dog frowned frowned. "So what," he asked hesitantly.

Nodoka only blushed a bit. "You and Negi… So how is it?"

This time it was Kotaro who blushed. He a took a half step back in surprise before answering. "Well… I… uh… How did you know anyway?"

Nodoka smiled. "Everybody on campus knows," she said, "Negi told Asuna and she told Class Rep and Class Rep … well she posted it on our class website." Kotaro blushed harder. Negi wasn't kidding about the deadline. Plus it on the website! Why was thing even still active? Class 2-A was long graduated! Smiling shakily Kotaro breathed out.

"Well, it's… fine," he managed to get out "Nice."

"And full of sex and orgasms?" Nodoka muttered from behind her bangs.

Kotaro sputtered. "N-no!" He blushed and looked down. "Well yes actually." He looked at the shy girl and frowned. "But why would you ask that!"

The blue haired girl didn't look up. "Eva-chan blogged about it," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Kotaro paled. No wonder he was getting stared at.

XXX

Two weeks later Negi asked a rather interesting question. They were walking toward the university where Asuna, Chachamaru, and Evangeline went to school. Negi and Kotaro were talking to the girls or at least Kotaro was. Negi seemed lost in thought. Suddenly he turned to Kotaro. "What do you think about moving in with me?" The inu stumbled on his two feet.

"W-what," he said looking up at Negi. Negi looked thoughtful.

"I thought you'd have that reaction. Perhaps it is too soon. Maybe we should just give each other keys. What do you think?"

Kotaro took a shaky breath. "Well, I guess that's okay."

The process and making and exchanging keys was simple however the gravity of it was immense. With a key to Negi's house Kotaro really felt as if they were dating. It was a nice, warm feeling that spread through the dog starting deep in his chest. However the key also, seemed to weigh him down. It was like there was something heavy and scary about being so close to someone. They had always been close, and had always done most everything together but it was now that they started spending time together as lovers that Kotaro realized he really had, enjoyed a lot of time to himself. It was strange to share so much of his life with someone. He'd never been part of a pack so the while idea of sharing himself with another was foreign. However with time he got over it and started to enjoy Negi almost non-stop company. It started to become second nature to the dog. It was even not enough after a while.

After the exchange of keys there were weekends at each other's homes. The snickers that came with him leaving Negi's at all hours of the day drove Kotaro absolutely crazy but it was the process of leaving that bothered him the most. A month after they had starting dating the two teens took leave of the campus and went on vacation. They went to the beach and spent four long days in the sun. It was different than any other trip they'd taken. It wasn't just that they were alone, it was something else. Suddenly Kotaro found the beach to romantic. He had never thought it being so before. Sleeping in, a thing he had previous never even thought of, became a good way to spend as much time as possible pressed up against the mage in joyous union. Still it didn't seem to be enough. Going back to the campus was unpleasant and Kotaro, despite his best efforts, couldn't help but he a little irritated at how happy Negi seemed to be going back to his own apartment where they would be separate.

Another month went by. The two teens spend almost every moment they could together they ended taking two more trips together. Everything was going but Kotaro still couldn't help but feel irritated at Negi for some reason. He couldn't help but feel he was holding back. That feeling started increasing suddenly out of the blue until the dog had to talk to Negi about it.

Resolved to get his feeling out in the open he walked to Negi apartment. However as he was about to climb the stairs to the apartment building's door he was hit by a sense of vertigo. He had been sick twice that week already but had thought nothing of it. Going off the side of the path Kotaro doubled over with his hand on the rail of the stairs. His head spun slightly and before he knew it he was throwing up all over the ground.

Unfortunately Negi chose that time to walk out of his apartment building. He looked over and saw Kotaro bent over throwing up. He jumped to his side and patted him on the back. "Kotaro," he said with a worried tone. "Kotaro what's happening. What's wrong?"

Kotaro stopped losing his breakfast and panted slightly. "I… don't know. I'm sure I'm fine." Negi helped Kotaro inside his apartment and sat him down on the sofa.

Negi got the inu a glass of water and sat down next to him as he drank it. "Has this happened before now?" Kotaro gulped down the last of the water and nodded.

"This make three times," he admitted.

Negi gasped. "Three? Why haven't you said anything about it before now?"

Kotaro flattened his ears at the volume of Negi's question. "I'm not worried about it," the dog said simply.

Negi Stared at him. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked in shock. "Tomorrow you're going to the doctor." Kotaro opened his mouth to protest but Negi shook his head. "No! You're going and that's final."

Kotaro stared then shrugged. "If you really want me to."

Negi stared at him a moment before speaking. "I love you."

Kotaro looked at Negi so fast they bumped heads. After rubbing the pain away Kotaro stared at Negi. The mage shifted in place, a light blush on his cheeks. Neither of them had say anything like about being in love with one another since Kotaro had said it the first time they had sex. The two males stared at each other before Kotaro grinned.

"I love you too, Negi," he said simply. Negi smiled softly and put his arms around the half-demon. Kotaro kissed his head before relaxing into him.

XXX

The next day Negi walked Kotaro to the doctor's. The doctor, a kindly old demon well past his fighting prime, did many tests on a very uncooperative Kotaro before telling them to sit in the waiting room while he got the results. Negi looked nervous. Kotaro put an arm around him.

"Don't worry," he told him. "Everything's going to be fine. I've never felt better in my life!" Negi swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

The doctor came back in a few minutes. He was smiling. Kotaro smiled back at him. "So I'm fine aren't I? Nothing to worry about?"

The doctor nodded. "Yup. Nothing to worry about. You're going to have a baby. You're just having a bit of morning sickness."

Kotaro paused and saw Negi pale out of the corner of his eye. "Oh," the dog said. "So that's what it is."

XXX

Later Negi was pacing back and forth in his apartment. "How could this happen?" the mage muttered in panic.

Kotaro chuckled. "Well no protection ever and lots of sex. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner."

Negi looked at Kotaro in panic. "Not helping!" he shouted. "Besides! You're ... you're a guy ... so ..."

Kotaro laughed. "You're adorable when your confused and angry." Negi growled and the dog held up his hand. "Sorry. But it's true." Kotaro stood and went to Negi. " It's a sort of ablity my kind has. It's to keep the species numbers up. I don't know much about it, but I know it's perfectly normal. I just didn't think I could do it being ... you know, half human." The dog kissed the mage's cheek. "Negi. This is okay. A pup is great thing! We'll make great parents!"

Negi stared. "Are you serious?" he whispered.

"Of course I am." Kotaro told the mage as he gently nudged him towards the couch. "For a while now, I've thinking I made a mistake. Remember when we exchanged keys? Originally you asked me to move in. I was scared of it then, but I realized really soon afterward that I love you. You're my mate." Kotaro laughed a bit. "Well we haven't officially mated technically. But you're the one I'm meant to mate. All this time, I've been regretting keeping you at a distance."

"We've only been living separately," Negi said. He was obvious mystified by Kotaro's confession.

"I know. But still. Dog keep their mates nice and close. We're possessive." The dog nuzzled Negi who laughed.

"So you're okay with this?" the mage muttered.

"Perfectly."

"Then so am I."

XXX

It didn't long for things to get settled. If there was one thing the former class 2-A was good at, it was split second parties. Ayaka used her family's connections push legal coupling between the two while Mana volunteered to be the priestess at their Shinto-style wedding. The reception lasted well into the night and was combined with a baby shower. Negi and Kotaro managed to slip out after a certain point while the girls were either partying or fighting over who had given them the best and most useful baby gift.

After a week-long honeymoon Kotaro and Negi moved into a new apartment. In the months Kotaro was pregnant Negi was promoted to head of the language department and Kotaro became something of a house wife. Improved his cooking skills with the help of Satsuki - who at this point owned her own restaurant and cooking school - and made meals for when Negi wasn't there to do it and kept the apartment up. However for the some of the time the inu also worked part-time at the elementary division of the Mahora Academy teaching martial arts. Even pregnant he could easily do that.

Six months into the pregnancy Kotaro quit his job to prepare properly for the "pup" as he called it. He began preparing the nursery and with the help of Asuna bought what needed to be bought. He baby proofed the room, then after a comment from Evangeline, demon-mage baby proofed the room. However he wasn't quite sure how safe guard the room from whatever powers his pup might be born with. With the completion of the nursery Kotaro spent most of his time resting. He was always tired and always hungry, as if he body was preparing for the toll about to be taken on it.

Kotaro was sitting at home one day with a plate on his stomach when a small pain hit him. Negi was at work and he was home alone but a little pain had never bothered him so he passed it off as nothing and returned to eating. Suddenly the pain hit him again only this time it was fierce. Moving the plate off his stomach he stood up and made his way to the full length mirror in the bedroom. "What's going on pup?" he muttered with concern. The pain hit him again, this time causing him to cry out slightly. It was then instinct kicked in. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He moved over to the bed, picked up the phone and dialed Negi's cell phone. There was no answer and it went to the answering machine. Kotaro hung up and took a few shaky breaths. He braced himself through another wave of pain before getting up. He wasn't in labor. He didn't know how he knew that, and didn't care. He knew this was not normal. After making it to the dresser he rode out another wave of pain and opened a small case of the dresser. On one side was a stack of cards in a plastic case. On the other was single card. Kotaro picked up his pactio card and held it to his forehead.

"Negi!" he called. There was a paused before he received an answer.

"Kotaro?" Negi's voice sounded confused and panicked even through telepathy.

"There's something wrong. I'm in so much pain. Bring me to you." Kotaro didn't receive a reply however a second afterward he felt the familiar whooshing feeling of being teleported to Negi via the pactio link.

After a few seconds of having the distinct feeling of being sand flying in the wind, Kotaro solidified in a hallway of one of the Academy's buildings. Between the pain and the lightheadedness of teleporting Kotaro swooned heavily and was caught Negi.

"Kotaro! What's wrong?" Negi held him gingerly and looked him over.

"I … don't know …" Kotaro gasped as another wave of pain coursed through him.

"Perhaps I'd better take a look at him."

Negi turned to find Shizuna standing behind him. Even after Negi had officially completely his training she continued to be his advisor at the Academy. The nurse-mage walked over to Negi and with more strength than her curvy womanly body betrayed she had, helped Negi bring the round inu into the Headmaster's office.

"You can put him on the desk," Dean Konoe said as he thoughtfully stroked his long white beard. The desk was cleared and had a white cloth covering it. Negi smiled gratefully at the old man before helping Shizuna put Kotaro on the desk. "I think my granddaughter's skill would be a great help at this point," the Headmaster stated as he came up behind Negi.

The mage nodded and went to pull out his cell phone when Kotaro held out his hand to stop him. In his outstretched hand was the deck of cards from the dresser. He was grabbed them before being teleported. Negi smiled and took his deck of pactio cards with a grateful nod. He shuffled through them and found Konako's card before touching it to his forehead. After a short telepathic conversation, Konako appeared in a blur of wind.

Negi was forced into the hall by the Headmaster after only a few minutes. Konoka had apparently told someone what was happening before Negi brought her to him because Asuna and Setsuna arrived soon after Negi got thrown out into the hallway. Setsuna assured Negi that whatever it was "Ojou-sama" would be able to handle it. Negi forced and smiled and asked why she still referred to Konoka as "Ojou-sama" when they were dating which cause the half-demon to blush and tell him that it was not the time for such questions.

Evangeline arrive shortly after Asuna and Setsuna had. She told him to stay in the hall since he was "too emotional to be of use" and let herself into the office. When he opened the door Negi heard Kotaro scream. He immediately stepped forward to go to him but was stopped by not only Asuna and Setsuna but Chachamaru as well.

Asuna smiled at Negi. "I'm sure everything will be fine," she whispered as she held his shoulders. "Just relax, Negi."

XXX

The sun was just about to rise; the sky outside the hallway windows was growing lighter and lighter. Evangeline came out as Negi watched a morning bird fly past the. Negi was seating on the floor with Asuna, Chachamaru, Setsuna and Ayaka - who had come later - asleep all around him. Evangeline looked at the group before turning to Negi.

"You can go in," she said in a tired tone. Negi climbed out of the pile, doing his best not to wake the sleeping women and found Kotaro in portable bed. He was awake, but looked horrible. Kotaro turned his head toward Negi as he came in.

"I almost lost her," he whispered hoarsely. Negi flinched and wished Kotaro hadn't picked that as the first thing to say to him. Negi sat down next to the bed.

"But you didn't. You did good job." Kotaro smiled at the sound of Negi's words then his face looked shocked, like he had remembered something.

"I can't have any more children, Negi."

The wizard's face dropped into confusion. "What?"

Kotaro smiled bitterly. "Too many hits to the stomach while I was fighting or something. I don't know. But I can't risk getting pregnant again. The baby probably wouldn't make it. I could die too." The dog shut his eyes but a few tears managed to slip down his face anyway. Negi took his hand. "I'm sorry Negi."

Negi leaned over the kissed away Kotaro's tears. "What for?" the once child-teacher asked "What have you got to be sorry for? One is more than enough. Remember, I am an only child." He kissed Kotaro's cheek. "Everything will be okay," he assured the demon. Kotaro nodded weakly and lay back to sleep.

Negi oversaw Kotaro being taken the hospital. The half-demon didn't wake once the whole trip. He slept for hours with even twitching. Negi saw their daughter and fed her before let Konoka took her the nursery. Negi ate a little but said at Kotaro's bedside until he woke. When Kotaro did wake up the first thing he asked was: "Where's my daughter?"

Negi smiled at the question and replied simply: "In the nursery. She's fine." Negi got up and asked a nurse to get her but the nurse came back in a few minutes frantic, telling them that their daughter was gone. Kotaro nearly ripped the nurse apart when heard that.

"Where is she?" he nearly screamed. Negi forced him to let the nurse go and she rushed off saying she'd find her.

An alert went through hospital for a missing child. It was assumed that someone had walked off with her because her crib was still there but she was gone. They searched everywhere but the child was nowhere to be found. Finally Kotaro sat down in bed sulking and near panicking. "My baby, my baby," he kept muttering to himself. He muscles were tense as if he was going to jump up at any moment. Evangeline paused as she entered the room.

"What's wrong with the dog?" she asked rudely.

"Master, our baby's missing," Negi explained.

Evangeline stared at him with a frown. "Missing? I took her you half wit."

Kotaro jumped up and lunged at the vampire. "You little-" The rest of his comment as cut off by Evangeline kicking him.

"You'd better watch your mouth to damn dog!" she spat.

Negi stood between the two trying to keep the peace. "Now, now. There's no need for violence. He just gave birth! Thank you, Master, for looking after her." He paused. "You didn't … feed off her, did you?" Evangeline glared and Negi ducked his head. "Sorry Master. Sorry."

Evangeline huffed and left the room. Negi and Kotaro followed the mage girl out to the hospital garden. There, the child was floating in the sunlight smelling some flowers. Negi and Kotaro looked at each other.

"How?" the both said.

The child looked in their direction, smiled and giggled. Negi shrugged and went over to collect her daughter. Kotaro smiled as the mage handed her to him. "Amaterasu," he muttered.

Negi thought. "That means "shining over heaven" right?" He looked at his raven haired daughter. "I like it."

After a few tests to make sure she was alright, Amaterasu was brought home. Negi and Kotaro were looking forward for some calm time alone with their daughter but of course the former class 2-A had other ideas. They threw a birthday party for Amaterasu, putting on shows, playing music doing performances. Amaterasu seemed oddly alert to it all for a newborn. The party last well into the night but the guest of honor fell fast asleep in her "mother's" lap after being nursed.

**Next period: Break time: The baby has power.**


	6. Break time: Whoa! The baby has power.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eva decides to baby-sit with interesting results.

Evangeline lay still in her bed rolled over onto her side with her blonde hair tossed careless over her shoulder. Her breathing was shallow and even though her blankets were tangled around her legs and torso. The room was darkened to a cave like state. The curtains were thrown back from the window but the moonless cloudy night sent no light into the room. A light breeze wafted through the partially opened window and swept as best it could across the room before brushing over the eternal ten-year-old. Her eyes stirred from behind closed lids before she still once again.

"I can't take it!" Evangeline screamed as she sat up and threw her pillow with both hands off her bed and across the room. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The vampire-mage hopped out of her bed and strode towards her bedroom door, kicking her pillow along the way. She had been trying for hours to get to sleep. She'd drank soothing tea, fed, listened to calming music, read, taken a bath, done some embroidery while in bed and was on the verge of taking a sleeping potion. Thinking it might not be a good idea to just down sleeping potion she had opted for lying still in bed and relaxing her body in the same way that sleep brought. Her body had been calm and peaceful but she still hadn't been asleep.

Annoyed at not being able to sleep she stormed to her front door. Once there she stuffed her feet into her boots before wrapping a scarf around her neck. She yanked on a coat and slammed a hat over her blonde head before unlocking the door and throwing it open. Outside snow was coming down at steady rated. The vampire cursed at the snow before stepping out into it. She closed the door behind her, wondered briefly about keys then decided against it and started walking.

The walk was silent as she figured it would be. The snow drove all sane creatures inside for the night, while the sounds of anything stupid, crazy or irritated enough to go out into it was swallowed up by its fluffy whiteness. Evangeline huffed as her foot nearly got yanked out of her boot when it got caught in a particularly deep snow bank. With a frown she yanked her foot out of the pile then cursed a bit of snow melted into a cold puddle against her bare foot inside her boot. Evangeline thought she could try flying but with her powers all bound up it wasn't the best idea.

Finally after an extended walk she arrived at her destination. Trudging up the front steps, she growled at the layers of snow making the use of the stairs more difficult. After pushing the door opened she shook off some of the snot that was clinging to her before storming up the inside steps. Once she had reached her desired door she stopped and slammed her fist against the door before crossing her arms over her chest. She stared at outside of the peep hole in impatience before slamming her fist against the door again and glaring at the plaque next to the door. The top had the apartment number, 4D, in gold letters and below that were two names: Supuringufīrudo Negi, Inugami Kotaro. Glued to the bottom of the plaque was a wooden chip with a third name: Inugami Supuringufirudo Amaterasu. Even with in her bad mood, Evangeline couldn't help but feeling a little cheered just to think about the little half-demon.

She was about to relax a bit when the door was thrown open. Evangeline glanced at the door and took in the site of Negi panting and disheveled. He was in his pajamas, his hair was out of its usual short ponytail and his glasses were crooked. From inside the apartment behind him a baby was crying loudly. Evangeline and Negi stared at one another before she spoke. "Aren't you going to invite me in, you rude boy!" she barked as he pushed past the now seventeen-year-old mage. She kicked off her boots and tossed her jacket, hat and scarf on the floor before storming to the sofa. She turned and flopped down on it before crossing her legs and glaring at the teen.

Negi stared at his teacher with wide eyes. He was more than used to her less than polite behavior but she had never just showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night. He smiled nervously and shuffled forward. "Um … Master what are you doing here?"

"Good question," Kotaro growled softly as he walked into the living room. "What are you doing here?" He was in his pajamas as well but his sleep wear consisted only of a pair of sweatpants. Evangeline eyed him then turned away from the dog. He had gotten increasingly bitchy and therefore highly annoying to the vampire in the time he'd been pregnant and given birth.

Instead of interacting with the grumpy dog who was probably pissed she woken his baby, the child-sized mage looked at where her former student had been standing. However he was no longer in the front of the door. Before she could wonder where he'd gone he emerged from out of the kitchen with a glass in his hand. He approached her and held the glass of orange liquid out to her. Evangeline only stared at it icily before flicking her eyes up to her now much bigger student. "What the hell is that?" she snapped.

Negi flinched a bit and his mouth dropped open in shock. "It's … orange juice," he muttered. Out of the corner of her eye the vampire saw Kotaro fold his arms over his chest and frown in disapproval. She ignored him.

"Orange juice? Orange juice!" The mage stood and swatted at Negi's hand, sending the glass tumbling to the carpeted floor. "You idiot! I'm a vampire! Why the hell would you offer me orange juice!"

Negi stared at her with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. "But … but you drink juice and tea all the time…"

Evangeline huffed. "That is not the point! The only reason I didn't cut you open when we met was because you promise you'd lift this damn spell. It's been how many years? Seven? And here I still stand, bound like animal, tethered to this place! What good was sparing you if you weren't going to free me? Though you certainly made time to shack up with dog boy over there and have a kid! I should have drained you dry like I original wanted to, you useless brat!"

From farther in the apartment Amaterasu began to cry loudly again. Evangeline glanced in that direction to get an eyeful of a very angry Kotaro. He was seething, his demon features marring his usually kindly and very human looking face.

"Negi. Make. Her. LEAVE." The half demon growled and marked each word with a dangerous spike of power. Evangeline looked at him coolly before Negi interjected.

"Kotaro, why don't you go get Ama-chan. I'll deal with Master." He took a few quick steps to interrupt Kotaro's line of sight before shooing him away to the nursery. Evangeline stared at his back as he left then turned her eyes to Negi. He had a hurt look on his face but whatever pain he was feeling was mostly pushed aside by worry. Eva stared him down for a moment before sighing loudly.

"Uhhh! Why do you have to be so annoying!" she yelled she threw her hands up in disgust. Amaterasu began to cry louder and the vampire sighed. Shaking her head she plopped back down on the sofa.

"I'm sorry Master." Negi shuffled over to her and offered her a nervous little smile. "I know how you were depending on me." He dropped his eyes and frowned. "I really have been trying all this time. But Ama-chan takes up so much time. And then there's school and … I'm sorry. I should have been more focused and I swear Master I'll-" Negi made a noise of surprise and pain as he was kicked in the head.

"Shuddup will ya!" Evangeline shouted. When baby's wail filled the apartment she huffed. "You see what you made me do you idiot! She's crying again now!" Evangeline sat down and crossed her legs. "Sheesh. Making me go and yell at you when poor Amaterasu is trying to get some sleep. What a poor parent!"

Negi sat on the floor with wide eyes as he rubbed his head. "I'm … sorry Master. I didn't mean to -"

"I come here," the vampire interrupted her confused student, "to rant and shout and blow off a little stem and what do you? You apologize! You make excuses for me! What sort of decent person does that! How did I end up with such a goodhearted person for a student?"

Negi blinked and just looked away. The seventeen-year-old figured this was just his master being her normal self so he was just going to let her rant.

"I mean honestly! I couldn't even rant at you because you're too cute. How irritating!" She sighed. "Well so much for MY night."

Evangeline glared at no particular spot until Kotaro caught her eye by walking into the room. "She wanted to see her Aunt Eva," he muttered with a small smile on his face. The dog held up a fully awake squirming Amaterasu before bring her over to Evangeline. As he handed her his daughter the two exchanged glances. Hers was just slightly apologetic. His was forgiving and understanding. Evangeline gladly took the infant mage and started playing with her.

"Hello little sweet thing!" she cooed. "Can you believe that idiot over there is my student? How did I get saddled with an idiot like that for a student huh?" She looked at Negi with a frown. "Yo. Boy. Go get me some tea, would ya?"

Negi smiled nicely and bowed his head to the floor as he hadn't yet gotten up. "Yes, Master." The teen walked off into the kitchen and started some water for tea. While he was taking the cups down Kotaro stepped behind him.

"That woman's crazy," he muttered in a tired voice.

"Well, yes. Master has her ways doesn't she." He turned and scowled at Negi. "But it wasn't necessary to yell at her like that. She was just blowing off steam."

Kotaro smiled and patted Negi's shoulder. "Negi I love you but sometimes you just don't get it. I was protecting my pup. And before you say it, I know she wasn't in any danger!" Kotaro smiled at the look on Negi's face. He always knew what the mage was going to say. "It was just instinct. That's all."

Negi's sighed and went to kiss his mate but just then Evangeline shouted for them, bitching about how she wanted her tea and order them to bring a bottle for Amaterasu while they were at it. The two teenagers looked at one another then shrugged and went to collect the drinks. After Evangeline had drank her tea and they had all chatted for a while, the vampire began bitchy that it was much too late for a baby to be awake and ordered the teens to put their daughter back to bad immediately. Kotaro muttered that it was Evangeline herself who woke the infant, but that only earned him a kick to the head, after which Evangeline kissed Amaterasu, told Negi to take care and left.

Evangeline slept like a rock until late the morning and woke up in a great mood. Kotaro was up with a headache because of the kick and went to work tired.

XXX

The sun was shining down on Mahora Academy as Evangeline walked to the teacher's dorms. She was baby sitting that day because apparently the two teens were going to go off and do whatever the hell it was that they did when they were away. It wasn't like that bothered her. After he bad mood had worn off she was in high spirits and poor little Ama-chan needed someone besides her dumbass parents to influence her.

And so with a smile Evangeline practically shoved the teens out the door, telling them to take their time. "Master!" Negi said as he tried to halt her shoving. "We're ... we're going to see if we can't find Father."

Evangeline paused and looked at her student. "Is that so?" she said. "Well then," she paused as looked down then raised her hand and slapped her ex-student in the back, "if you find the bastard smack him a few times for me!" She laughed loudly and then proceeded to finishing shoving the teen's out of their apartment and slamming the door behind them. After locking the door, she skipped off to make herself some coffee.

XXX

A few hours had gone by and Evangeline hadn't done much. She didn't feel like going into the snow and having to dress Amaterasu for the cold so the vampire-mage had opted for relaxing at the Springfield-Inugami apartment until for the day. She fed the baby and relaxed on the sofa. The two of them took a nap in Negi and Kotaro's bed and had bubble bath. After the bath Evangeline sat in the rocking chair in Amaterasu's nursery while the baby sat on the floor playing with blocks. Rocking back and forth she looked a few dull brown stains with fondness. Negi was no carpenter and cut himself several times while trying to make the chair as a gift for Kotaro. At one point he opted for work gloves to save his hands, but when one of the gloves got catch in the saw and Negi's had was nearly cut off he stopped wearing them. It was now months later, and winter to boot, and still Negi didn't even own a pair of gloves.

Sighing, the vampire-mage looked down smiled at the girl at her feet. "Must be nice to be a baby," she said as he reached down and brushed his hand over the child's cheek. However to her surprise the baby began to the wail. The mage's super sharp nails had cut the infant's cheek as she pulled her hand back. With a cry of surprise Evangeline dropped to the floor and picked up the child. "Oh no! No, no, no! Don't CRY! That goodie-two-shoes student of mine will have my head if you're hurt under my watch. Do you have any idea how guilty he'll make me?"

She fussed over the child but the girl refused to stop crying. Blood was dripping down the left side of her face. Evangeline looked for something to wipe in up with but finding nothing just licked it up with one long lap. Thankfully no more blood came and Amaterasu stopped wailing. With a sighed Evangeline sat back. "Well that was certainly –" POP!

The vampire looked around. She could have sworn she heard a pop, like opening a glass bottle of soda. Standing with Amaterasu, the child-sized mage looked around. Something was going on. She could feel it. Edging around the room she looked for anything out of order but found nothing. Then she heard something he the hallway. Stepping slowly towards the nursery door she got ready to attack. She thought if she put her whole force into one attack she could knock the intruder away long enough to escape with Amaterasu even if she was mostly bound with that damn spell. Taking a deep breath she rushed out into the hallway and charged only to be blow back by the force of her own attack. Rolling backwards with Amaterasu Evangeline landed back in the nursery. Staring at the gaping hole in the place Negi and Kotaro's kitchen used to be she blinked. She shouldn't have had the power to do that. Not in the middle of day, still bound. However …

With the quick test of her spell skills Evangeline was an adult. Looking down at herself she blinked. Then slowly she stood up and looked around. This was real. Her powers were back. The mage was a hair's width from wondering why when Amaterasu giggled and looked up at her. Evangeline grinned. So all it had taken was a little demon blood in the Springfield bloodline and she was free with one lick. She was sure Nagi hadn't planned for that. Grinning she brought Amaterasu up to her face. "Oh sweet little girl. You have freed me. And now …" Then dark mage laughed softly. "We'll have some fun."

XXX

"You ignorant fool! Don't you know who you're dealing with?" Evangeline was on a rampage. Yelling and throwing things, she frightened the people around her and nearly choked someone. It looked like she was actually going to kill someone when a young woman entered her line of sight with a pure blue dress and matching ribbons.

"Ma'am! Ma'am, will this do? It the closest we have to the one we sold!"

Evangeline surveyed the dress the snatched it for the woman. She held it up in front of her and then stormed off. In a moment she returned with Amaterasu dressed in the infant size powder blue party dress. "It's perfect!" the vampire exclaimed. "It's even lovelier then than other one – THAT YOU IGNORANT SWINE SOLD TO SOME UNDESERVING BRAT –and it suits her perfectly!" Evangeline tossed her card at the sales woman and told her to ring up her shopping. She ordered the hapless store clerk she'd nearly strangled to pack up all the shopping while she turned to dress Amaterasu in her brand new coat. After getting the bags Evangeline walked out of the store. She had brought herself and Amaterasu brand new wardrobes and now figured it would be a good time to go get them something to eat. As she walked down the sidewalk, even wrapped up in her heavy coat, she noticed people paused and stared when she passed them. Smirking Evangeline winked at an unsuspecting guy as he approached her. She loved doing this.

XXX

After lunch Evangeline got bored and so when to go visit Asuna. Kicking the door as she reached it Evangeline called out to the mage. The door flung open and Asuna stood before Evangeline with a glare. Then after a moment her face dropped. "Eva-chan?"

The vampire grinned. "Yes?" she crooned.

Asuna continued to stare at the ten-year-old's obviously adult body before she gasped. "Oh my god! You killed Negi! You bitch!"

Evangeline sputtered. "What the hell! Have you been watching that foreign anime again? The one with the mean fat kid."

"You killed Negi to get your powers back!" Asuna shouted.

"I did not! I got them back when I accidentally nicked Ama-chan and licked up the blood!"

"You expected me to believe that!" Asuna screamed!

"It's true you dim-witted bell-head!"

XXX

"It actually is true." Evangeline was sitting on Asuna's sofa with Amaterasu on her lap. Konoka had poked and prodded her for a while, trying to determined whether she had killed Negi to regain her powers or not until Setsuna, ever more clear-headed than Asuna or Konoka, simply called Negi's cell phone. The winged swordswoman nodded as she looked at the group. "Negi was there. He picked up and said he was about to speak with his father for the first time so he couldn't talk."

"Why didn't you tell him about my powers?" Evangeline asked and Setsuna glanced at her.

"Well …" she muttered. "Negi-sensei seemed so excited. I know he wants to free you, but it is his father. Your power aside, he grew up a boy chasing after a father he never knew. I thought he wanted to see him anyway so we should let him. If I had told him about you, he would have fussed over you and gotten distracted."

Evangeline stared at the demon and then sat back on the sofa with a sigh. "No argument here," he responded. Negi fussed. She was no longer his student and scores older than him, but he fussed over her all the same. It was better that he not know, at least for now. "Well since that's the case, I guess we're on our own for now," the vampire said as she sat back up and grinning at the other three woman.

The college students looked at Evangeline, nervous at what she was about to suggest. Every time they had seen or heard of Evangeline in her made-up adult form, she had done terrible things. The vampire leaned forward so far she made all three women turn their eyes away and blush, as she was nearly falling out of her top.

"Why don't we … do some KARAOKE?!" the vampire suggested loudly.

"…"

The women stared at the age old vampire before slowly breaking out into snickers and the giggles.

"What?" Evangeline shouted. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Konoka choked out between giggles.

"Some dark queen," Asuna laughed and Evangeline glared.

"Hey! I'm Mistress of the Night! You hear me. I just don't feel like causing trouble right now. I'm still terrifying! Stop that giggling! I'm evil you, hear me. Evil! Are you listening to me! I said STOP LAUGHING!"

XXX

Evangeline sighed as she walked up to Negi's apartment building. She had been seriously considering flying back, which she knew Amaterasu would love, but she had worn herself out at Asuna's. As per their nature, the former 1-A students had shown up to celebrate – why they were happy she was now at full power and could destroy things again Evangeline would never know – and the partying had gotten out of hand. And so, tired and a bit sore the vampire walked back with Amaterasu asleep in her baby carriage. As she approached the steps she heard someone shout to her and turned. Negi and Kotaro were walking up the path. Kotaro was waving, his mitten covered hand flaying wildly above his head. Negi, on the other hand, didn't even seem to see her.

"Good evening," Evangeline said as she eyed Negi.

"Master …" the mage said weakly as he finally looked at her. He stared blankly for a moment, as if he'd fallen asleep while standing with his eyes open, before blinking slowly. "Your body …"

"Yes! It seems Kotaro's demon blood mixed with your blood was enough to break you father's hex." Evangeline smirked happily, but Negi barely nodded.

"That's good," he muttered then fell silent. Silence drifted between the three in the dark until Kotaro spoke.

"Ugh … we're going to take Amaterasu inside," the demon muttered as he took the carriage. "Goodnight Eva-chan."

Evangeline nodded as stepped back but before they walked past her she spoke. "How'd it go with your old man?" she asked. She got her answer when Negi got a dark look on his face and turned his head away.

Kotaro looked at his mate then back at the vampire. "You don't want to know," he answered, before the two men took their daughter and went inside, leaving Evangeline wondering what the hell had happened.

**Next period: Darkness! The Planned Suicide of Negi Springfield.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Jesus Christ! This chapter was originally just a fun side thing in the plot of this story. How'd it end up to be nearly four thousand words this time? Oh. And excuse me for the corny joke when Evangeline talks to Asuna. I started typing that line: "Oh my god! You killed Negi!" and South Park just popped into my head and the rest of the line just popped out. I couldn't help but continue the joke with a veiled South Park reference. I don't even like South Park.


	7. 5th Period: Darkness! The Planned Suicide of Negi Springfield.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a troubling encounter with his father Negi falls into a deep depression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, on the song fic to Johnette Napolitano's Suicide Note.

5th Period: Darkness! The Planned Suicide of Negi Springfield.

It had been a good two months since they had chased down the last lead on Nagi Springfield. Negi never did tell Evangeline what happened. In fact, he never told anyone. The students debated among themselves whether it had been another dead end or not. No one could know what happened for sure. Negi never spoke of what they encountered. However, despite all the mystery, one thing was certain: Negi had changed.

**Every night you wrote another line with a bloody, broken bottle.**

At first, it was little things. Negi would spend hours by himself writing in a little red-leather book. He usually kept in the top drawer of his desk at home. Kotaro often wanted to open and read it, but never found an incentive to follow through with his plan. He knew that sometimes Negi liked to work things out on his own. The man was like Evangeline in that way. He liked getting things straight in his own head before talking about them.

However, it became clear after a while that Negi wasn't acting like his usual self. He confided less and less in Kotaro. He spoke less in general. It seemed whatever was in his head, went into that book and then got locked away in the desk drawer. Kotaro began to hate that book. He had no doubt it knew more about his husband than he did. The dog demon was would stand in the doorway with Amaterasu and watch Negi write line after line in that book and never speak a word to him.

**And every day you wish it away. Why don't you pull the pin on that grenade you coddle?**

Occasionally, Negi would speak and say something really out-of-character. He would question the purpose of parents. He would comment on how everyone is alone in this world. He said that he wished he'd never spent his life looking for the man known as the Thousand Master at all.

Honestly, it was what he said most.

Negi always seemed to be wishing he could go back and change his actions, change his past. Kotaro had never heard Negi talk like that before. It wasn't him at all. Kotaro would try to understand. He would try to take Negi's snide, embittered comments with a grain of salt. However, there was only so much he could stand. He loved the man, but he was only human.

Well, that wasn't entirely true; he wasn't human. But he could still only take so much. Sometimes he would look at his husband and want him to just implode. The dog couldn't stand to see him rot the way he was. Sometimes, for just a moment, he would wish whatever horrible self-destructive thing that was going to happen to Negi would just happen.

**I wanted to believe.**

Of course, those nasty little thoughts were few and far between and Kotaro hated himself for thinking it. Normally, he would smile. Sometimes, when the red-leather book got locked away for the night Negi would come to bed and just lay with him. Wrapped up in each other's arms they would close their eyes and sort of day dream. Kotaro didn't know what Negi day-dreamed about. He never asked and didn't really want to know. The point was they were together; both lost in their own minds but linked none-the-less. They were as they had always been.

At times like that, Negi would seem like his old self. Sure he was broken, sure he was in pain, but at times like those, Kotaro believed in his heart that Negi would recover. He believed that one day, the mage would smile fully again. Or at least at times like those, he didn't think it was foolish to want that to be true.

**Bodies swinging from trees, struggling to stand with you head in your hand. A stoic last stand of a dying man.**

Spring came. It was sweet and warm, and Kotaro thought the warming of the Earth would warm Negi's mood. He did seem in slightly better spirits. He smiled a bit more. But Kotaro noticed that Negi would look out of the window at the cherry blossoms and watch the branches sway in the wind.

The hairs on the back of Kotaro's neck stand up whenever he saw an aloofness form over Negi's frame. He knew Negi wasn't seeing the same scene he was. He would walk up behind him and watch as well, but whenever he looked down at him and looked into his eyes, he saw a terrible haunting.

Negi couldn't have been looking at cherry blossoms. Kotaro was absolutely sure of that.

Negi dropped his head onto his folded arms resting on the windowsill. Kotaro simply stroked his hair. It was a lie. That all smiling, gentle and warm as it was, was a lie. Negi was barely hanging on.

**I wanted to believe as I watched your world crumble in your hands. I wanted to believe as you raised your glass to your last stand.**

Soon things couldn't stay as they had always been.

Dean Konoe called Negi into his office. He had done that many times since Negi started teaching at the school. It wasn't surprising in the least that he called him now that Negi was struggling. However, what shocked everyone was what happened after the meeting. Asuna and Evangeline went up to Negi's office to force him to dinner with them. He had been all but shunning them, and while they had agreed not to pry, they had also agreed not to let Negi slip any farther from them. They entered the teacher's offices only to find Negi cleaning out his desk.

"Uh … Negi, what are you doing?" Asuna asked as she suspiciously eyed the boxes he was carefully loading his things into.

Negi smiled hollowly, "I'm going on temporary leave," he explained. "Dean Konoe thinks I'm working too hard. He convinced me to take some time off." Negi looked almost nervously down at the boxes.

"He convinced you to take time off?" Evangeline muttered in dark disbelief.

"Yes," was Negi's only answer as he picked up his things.

It wasn't long before Negi's lie was shot to pieces. The Dean had asked Negi to take temporary leave as an alternative to forcing him out. Negi's performance had been dropping, and the Dean now had no choice but to ask him to leave and find someone else to replace him. He swore that when Negi recovered his job would be waiting. Negi never commented on that.

His former students didn't simply accept his dismissal, of course. They went to the Dean, demanding Negi's job back. However, there was nothing the Dean could do. His hands were tied. Defeated, they opted to throw a party to cheer Negi up instead.

During, Negi made a toast and he almost seemed like his old self. He said: "To what lies ahead and no looking back." They all raised their glasses, but Kotaro just frowned. That toast seemed just too ambiguous.

**And I wanted to believe you would win the war in your head that I did not understand. That I did not understand.**

Still Kotaro raised his glass and drank. He couldn't, wouldn't, believe that Negi would be defeated. He could not let himself believe that Negi would never recover from the pain in his heart. If he gave in, then Negi would have nothing to hold onto. He needed to believe for them both that Negi would get better.

And he did believe. Maybe it was a lie, but he told himself over and over that he did believe.

**Every night the question poured out of your wounded eyes, damn dark things.**

He told himself that he was sure that Negi was sleeping enough, even when he never saw him sleep.

Kotaro would watch Negi put Amaterasu down for bed. It was one of the few times Kotaro could read him. He would stand over the crib and watch her as she drifted off to sleep. Kotaro would stand and watch Negi's eyes; all the pain he was feeling would drop out of them like tears.

Negi would question why his father had done what he had. He would question why he had spent so many years chasing a man he technically had no proof could, or wanted to, be found. He would question what he should life for, when what he had always lived for had been a lie. He would look down on his own child and wonder and fear what had made a man like his father, who was supposed to be so good, turn out like he had and whether the potential for the change was in him too.

Kotaro would watch until he was too tired to watch anymore and dejectedly head to bed. Negi would never come in after him. Kotaro always fell asleep alone.

**Every day you used to pray, listen to the black raven sing.**

Kotaro always woke up alone as well. He woke in an empty bed with Negi's side tossed. He believed, even though he never saw it, Negi slept beside him like he always had. And so he'd check for the tell-tale signs of him: his scent in the tossed blankets, and the ghostly feel on his lips that he'd been kissed in his sleep.

Then, he would get out of bed and get ready for the day. When Negi was still working, he'd be alone in the apartment; Amaterasu already at day-care, and Negi already at work.

But now, Negi stayed home with her. Now, there was breakfast on the table when he walked into their kitchen. Negi would be at the table; Amaterasu already fed, sitting clean and content in her highchair. Kotaro would smile and pat her head as he gazed at Negi out of the corner of his eye. The mage would have his elbows on the table, his hands clasped and his forehead resting against his clasped hands. His eyes were always closed. At first, it looked like he was sleeping, but he always woke too easily.

No, he wasn't sleeping. He was … well Kotaro couldn't guess what. Maybe he was praying or listening for some far off call. Kotaro told himself that Negi was collecting his thoughts and that he would be okay.

**I wanted to believe as you were falling to your knees, struggling to stand with your life in your hands. The sad last stand of a broken man.**

However many times he saw the signs, the dog thought he had to believe in Negi. He thought that if he faltered in his belief for even a moment that everything would come crashing down around them. He saw Negi die a little bit more every day, but there was nothing he could to stop him from falling. He saw Negi try to claw his way out of the hole he was in, but he kept failing.

However, Kotaro genuinely thought that if he stopped believing, Negi would die. It was if his love was the only thing keeping him afloat. He would hold Negi's hand and gave him the smallest of smiles, and when he did, Negi would seem to be okay for just a moment.

**I wanted to believe as I watch your world crumble in your hands.**

Even when Negi's power suddenly and quietly vanished, Negi still smiled when he took his hand. Kotaro told him it would be okay. He told him that mage or not, he was still his husband and soul-mate. Negi smiled when he told him this and kissed him gently.

Negi eventually got his job back. He wasn't a magical teacher, but he certainly was a good language teacher. His students loved him. They said he was cool and mature and mysterious.

It was only those who knew him before that knew he wasn't Negi. But Negi did seem happy enough. Kotaro smiled to himself. Things were going to be okay. He just knew it. Even if Negi would look like a shell sometimes, Kotaro couldn't stop believing things wouldn't work out.

**I wanted to believe as you raised your glass to your last stand. And wanted to believe you win the war in your head that I did not understand.**

**That I did not understand.**

Because he was so determined to believe, it was a shock when he found him. He was at the temple sitting at the foot of the shrine. He had bled into carefully placed bowls to avoid making a mess. The cuts ran from the inside of his elbows to his wrists in one straight line on each arm. Even with this, Negi was meticulous and accurate.

**And the questions pour out. And questions pour out.**

Kotaro stood there staring at the blood before looking to Negi's face. Even though he was now almost twenty, he looked like a boy again. He looked so carefree. Kotaro wondered if death was really that peaceful. He wondered why Negi hadn't taken him with him. He would have gone. They could leave Ama-chan with Evangeline. Didn't he want him to be with him? Was this journey so personal? Wasn't he important enough anymore?

**I did not understand. I did not understand.**

As Kotaro drew near, he spotted something. Peeking out from Negi's shirt was a gold chain with the character 犬(inu) on it. Negi had bought matching necklaces. Even then, around Kotaro's neck was gold chain baring the character 魔(ma). It was their bond. That was what Negi had called it. Kotaro frowned as he tilted his head to one side. The only thing he had been right about was Negi's love for him. As he slowly closed the distance between them, he huffed and amended his thought: Negi's love for him and their daughter. Ama-chan's little stuffed bear was in his jacket pocket along with a small gift wrapped box. Ama-chan's birthday wasn't far off.

"One last gift, Negi?" Kotaro asked as he leaned down.

In the end he had no idea what Negi had been thinking. None what-so ever.

**The sound of you falling (I did not understand).**

Kotaro closed his eyes and shook his head. He thought now that unwavering faith hadn't been enough. He should have done more. He should have known Negi needed his help. He sighed a little, sending his breath against Negi's face and feeling like a failure.

**As the trembling heart of dying man (I did not understand).**

Slowly, he crouched down and put his head on Negi's chest. He was just going to lay there for a while. He just needed to lay there for a while.

He was tired.

He found a soft place on Negi's chest and began to rest a little. He might have fallen asleep if not for the twitch under his head waking him. Kotaro looked up. He was shocked to find that on Negi's face was a small grimace of pain. Moving to investigate, Kotaro braced himself on the steps only to put his hand down on something hard. He fished it from beside Negi. It was a sleeping potion. Kotaro dared to smile, to believe again, and put his ear up to Negi's chest.

**The sound of a trembling heart.**

Faintly, weakly, a heartbeat reached him.

**Next period: 6th Period: My Mission! Reunion and Recovery.**


	8. 6th Period: My Mission! Reunion and Recovery. Part one.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negi recovers slowly as he gets called to the battlefield by his father, who perhaps left him purely out of kindness.

Black nothing, swimming, dull pain, greater pain, confusion, sensation of breathing, more pain, more confusion, the feeling on lying on his back, light, blurs, sounds, the knowledge he was lying in a hospital bed, the sight of Kotaro sleeping hunched over in a chair, holding his hand, confusion, relief.

Those were the things Negi encountered one after the other as he came to in the hospital. The feelings he came upon were not uncommon or foreign to him. He'd been in enough battles for waking up sore in the hospital to be something he laughed off in most cases. So even though he didn't remember how he got where he was, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, Kotaro seem unharmed (albeit anxious) and Negi was fairly calm about things. He was certain that everything would get explained to him soon and that he would be back to his job, his baby and his life in no time.

Sitting up a little he grinned. "Kotaro!" he whispered playfully. "Kotaro-kun! Wake up!" He shook his hand which caused the dog to grumble in his sleep. Kotaro had never been a morning person. "Wakey, wakey," Negi said with a laugh.

Kotaro came slowly to wakefulness and little by little focused on him. The mage grinned.

"Well good morning sleepy head," the mage purred at his drowsy husband. "Have a nice nap?"

Kotaro stared at him with wide blank eyes for some time, Negi assumed he tired from whatever had both put him in the hospital and wiped his memory of the events leading to that point. He smiled gently, trying to be reassuring. But then Kotaro stood.

"You bastard!" he screamed and his hand came at the mage so fast he would have never had time to block.

He never needed to though. Evangeline was between them before Negi could begin to process the situation.

"Stop it, dog!" she hissed. "This is not what we need right now."

"Stop it?" Kotaro yelled in obvious distress. "Stop it! He tried to commit suicide! And you want me to -"

"I did what?" Negi shouted practically standing up in the bed. "What do you mean I tried to … to … . I can't even say it!" The mage looked desperately at his child-sized master. "Master what dies he - hey why are you so tall?"

Negi sat down on the bed and stared at he realized his normally child-sized master was in fact not child sized at all. She was grown woman.

"When did the spell break?" Negi asked in shock. Obviously his memory loss, his supposed … su … sui … oh he couldn't say it, and his master's curse being lifted were connected. But how? "What happened? Why do you look like that? Where's the snow?"

Negi's eyes got wider and wider with every question. It was at this point Kotaro realized something was serious wrong.

Evangeline sat down and explained. Apparently it was summer now and Amaterasu's birthday had just passed. Negi began to lament about missing his daughter's first birthday but was quickly shut up by his master's glare.

Last winter, she said, they had gone looking for Nagi again. While they were out, they had left Amaterasu with Evangeline. Negi's mage blood, mixed with Kotaro's demon blood had made her powerful enough to undo Nagi's spell with but a drop of blood and Evangeline had been freed from her curse. While she had enjoyed her powers, Negi had called to say he'd found his father and was about to talk with him. When he had come back he had not spoken about it and hadn't even confirmed he'd talked with him or gotten close to him at all. Some people said Nagi had disappeared again.

After that, Negi had fallen into a depression. His depression had gotten worse and worse. His powers had faded away and then, two days before, he had attempted suicide by blood loss, which was why he was in the hospital.

Negi shook his head. "That's … not possible," he said quietly. "No matter what, I would never …" He looked at Kotaro and continued to shake his head. "I would NEVER do something like that."

Kotaro smiled and nodded but didn't speak. He had been right. He had right all along. He knew Negi could never succumb to that. His faith hadn't been unfounded after all.

Negi reached over and held the dog's hand. The two shared a look before Evangeline interrupted.

"Look. I'm as happy as you are about this, but we have bigger issues." The vampire-mage pulled a card from her pocket and held it out. "I received this from Nagi two days ago."

Both Kotaro and Negi stiffened.

"My father?" the mage mumbled.

"What does that ass-hole want?" Kotaro snapped.

Evangeline glared and looked like she was resisting the urge to smack the dog. "Shut up! This is not the time." Turning to Negi she sighed. "What do you remember of going to look for your father?"

Negi shook his head. "Nothing. I remember … you came over late one night. I went to bed. Kotaro had a head ache. He stayed up in the nursery. I went to sleep and woke up here." He frowned. "But according to you that was months ago."

"It was," Evangeline assured him. "Honestly, I thought something had broken you. I thought it was farfetched, but even the strong can sometimes succumb to the darkness in their hearts. I thought maybe even you were vunerable. But then, I got this." She tapped the card. "It arrived the night after you went into the hospital." She pressed her finger to the card and it lit up. After a moment the flickering lights turned into a steady stream and formed an imaged of Nagi's torso.

The mage smiled but it was broken and distant. " _Evangeline,_ " the record version of the man said. " _I know that you might not want to do this. I k now we haven't always been one the best of terms._ " He chuckled sadly. " _You always were one for holding silly little grudges. I guess you're still a girl in that way._ "

Suddenly the mage got a dark look in his eyes. " _Even though that's true, I need you to do something for me. I don't know if you're aware but Negi and I had a talk some months ago. He tracked me down, despite my best efforts. I tried to get him to leave but he refused. I realized the only way to keep him safe was to force him away from me. And so I hexed him. I made him forget finding me and put a lock on his powers so my enemies wouldn't find him._

" _Evangeline. The man who made you is … well I don't have time for the details now. I've been tried to stop him. I'm part of a group called Ala Rubra, the Crimson Wing. We're trying to stop Cosmo Entelecheia whose leader is that man._ "

Nagi paused a minute. He seemed out of breath. " _I didn't want Negi near this. I already lost his mother to it. I couldn't lose him too. Knowing my son would never have to face these battles has sustained me all this time. He has a husband and a child. I wanted him to be happy._ "

The man looked down; seemingly too ashamed to even show his face on a recording. " _But I cannot win as is. Ala Rubra is dwindling in numbers. Cosmo Entelecheia is winning. There is one last ditch effort to stop this but I fear it will fail. And so I have no choice but to risk the one think I have managed to protect._ "

Sudden Nagi looked up again. " _You must remove my hex form Negi. He won't remember anything from the time he spent with me and probably won't remember his time under the hex. That's … probably for the best. This hex tends to have terrible effects on a person. He can lead drastic changes in them. Plus I'd rather not have him remember his powers left him._

" _Whatever happened during these months, help him through it and then tell him about me. Don't let him see this. I don't want him knowing everything. Especially not about his mother._

" _But please. Train him; send him to the location on this card. This message will only be sent to you in the event of my capture … or death. Evangeline. Please don't let anything happen to Negi. Please. Make him understand that he is to stop Cosmo Entelecheia and get away. This will_ _ **NOT**_ _be a rescue mission. Tell him to leave me. Don't even let him look for me. It's too dangerous. Just …_ " The mage sighed. " _I leave it to you, Evangeline. Thank you._ "

The image of Nagi disappeared and the card returned to normal. Evangeline placed the card back in her pocket and sat back.

"So there it is, boy. Your depression, the memory loss, your father. The answer to every question laid out for you." Eyeing her student the vampire-mage frowned. "So what will you do?"

Negi sat on his knees in the hospital bed. He didn't speak and didn't look up. Kotaro watched him for a moment before getting up.

"You need some time to think," he said gently before leaning over and kissing the man's cheek. "I'll go tell everyone you're okay. Then I'll go and get Ama-chan and bring her to you. Okay."

Negi looked up and smiled a little. Nodding, he leaned forward to return the kiss and then slowly slid back into the bed. Kotaro pulled the blankets over him before passing Evangeline and leaving. The child sized vampire stayed a moment longer to watch her student.

"Whatever you decide, boy, I'm sure it will be the right thing." She gave him a distant but sympathetic look before turning a leaving the room as well.

"So that's it. It was a hex?" Asuna frowned over her tea as she eyed Kotaro.

"Yea," the dog said as he bottle-fed his daughter.

The two were sitting at a table in the hospital café. Asuna had dropped everything and become full time care for Amaterasu in the last two days. She had fallen back into taking care of everything when Negi's depression had gotten worse.

"So now Negi has a choice," Kotaro continued. "He can ignore it or-"

"He's not going to ignore it," Asuna reminded the dog gently. "No one would blame him if he did. He's missed so much already, what with being "out-of-order" the last few months. But he won't turn his back on anyone in need. He could never."

Kotaro sighed lightly. "True," he muttered as he looked down at his pup. "Too true."

"So when do we get to see Negi?" Asuna muttered as she tapped her foot. She, Konoka and Setsuna were waiting outside the hospital room. They were going to see Negi but Kotaro was in their way.

"We're waiting for Evangeline," he explained with a huff as he tried to still the squirming child in his arms. "Negi's probably decided what he wants to do by now and so we should all be there. The rest of his partners will be told later."

Asuna huffed. "What's taking that little shrimp so long anyway?"

"Watch it Bells!" snapped the irritable little vampire. She walked down the hall, arms full of books. "While you've been sitting on your ass, I've been doing research on Cosmo Entelecheia!"

"You have!" Konoka piped in cheerily. "And what did you find?"

"They're trying to create the perfect world, the Cosmo Entelecheia."

Asuna eyed the vampire. "Oh. And what's so bad about that."

"Two words Bells: Mass mind-control."

"That's three," Kotaro muttered only be glared at by all three girls.

"Shut up, dog!" Evangeline snapped. "They're going to use something call the Code of the Life-Maker to trap everyone in a massive illusion of their own making. And that's only for people they like. Everyone else can kiss their hides good-bye and no matter how many words that is, it's bad. They're in the final stages as we speak."

A deadly silence settled over the group. None of them had to say what they were all thinking. Negi was a last ditch effort in an end-game tactic. If he failed, even if he didn't go, their world as they knew it would be annihilated. As the weight of the situation sunk in Kotaro turned towards the door.

"We'd better tell him," he said quietly as he opened the door. However as he looked inside, he paused. The bed was empty. Negi was gone.

XXX

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Negi tried to pushing himself a little faster. Apparently his powers had gone away during the months of his depression. He could feel it now. His body felt heavy. His chants took longer. Even things like basic flying were so hard for him to master again. Dropping and rolling to the ground he shot off some lighting. It hit the trees around him and fell him like toothpicks but the mage still frowned. It wasn't good enough.

He threw three fast kicks, followed by a round house and, when he landed, a lighting spell. It took so long for him to get through that. He could see all the places an enemy would be able to get to him. His defenses were so low. He ran, kicked and flipped forward for a helicopter kick before pushing off on his left arm and shooting from his right. Both his forearms ached with all the effort. Long, thin scars ran from the inside of his elbows to his wrist. He gritted his teeth against the pain, both physical and mental and summoned his staff to him. It took longer than he was comfortable with for it to reach his out-stretched hand.

Flying straight up, Negi intended to hit top speed. To his frustration he never hit his previous top speed and got exhausted trying. With a sharp, mid-air U-turn he was speeding towards the ground again. He began to feel dizzy as he speed increased, helped along by gravity, but ignored it. As he neared the ground he discharged as much electricity as he could which backlashed against him and forced him to stop, keeping him from pounding into the ground. As he paused, panting and dizzy, he looked around. The forest looked like a war had gone on. Trees were fallen in every direction. The ground had long ugly scars across it. A crater surrounded the teenage mage.

Still he frowned. "Not good enough," he muttered with a shake of his head.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone approaching. It was Kotaro. He was watching him intently, wearing the training clothes he had put away when Amaterasu was conceived. Negi stared back at him.

"I'm not strong enough," the mage called to his mate.

"You will be," Kotaro responded as he came forward.

XXX

A huge stone and metal arch that stretched for a mile up with large imposing doors stared back at the teenaged mage. As he met its unfaltering gaze Negi found that his mind was oddly blank. Or at the least, it was oddly devoid of fear or worry.

In his mind he was going over the last time he'd seen Amaterasu. She was a year and a half now. She was beginning to speak and like her father she had an amazing mastery of language. She muttered and made half understandable sentences in Latin, Japanese, English and some demonic language that Negi didn't bother to ask Kotaro where he'd pick it up to teach it to their daughter. She had waved cheerily when they left four days before saying "Come back, come back!" brightly. She had been wishing them, in her own way, a safe return. Negi wondered absently if she knew what danger they were walking into. She was smart girl. He wondered what she had been able to comprehend.

"Nervous?" Kotaro's soft voice asked from beside him.

Negi turned. The demon was dressed for battle. They both were. Half a year in Evangeline's time-warped training center had hardened them both back into fighting form. Kotaro look like the wild, dangerous and just a bit smug boy the mage had first laid eyes on. Negi smiled. For some reason, he felt good.

"No," he answered softly. "I'm fine. I'm ready."

"You had better be boy," Evangeline answered. She was walking up behind him with a huge scroll in her hands. Asuna trailed close behind.

Many of Negi's students had insisted on going with him when they found out about his mission. However the only ones he had allowed were Evangeline (for obvious reasons) and Asuna. Evangeline, Asuna and Kotaro were the people Negi most felt he needed with to do what his father had asked of him.

Hence, he was blown over by what he heard next.

"You're going in alone," the vampire commanded.

"What?" Kotaro snapped. "He can't - "

"He has to!" Evangeline snapped but her voice held worry. "We got the scroll from the gate keeper. The gate to Cosmo Entelecheia's main base is very unstable because of all the attacks to it. If too much magical energy passes through it at once, it will collapse."

"If too much magical energy goes through it at all, it will collapse," Asuna muttered darkly.

Evangeline glanced at her then at Negi. "This time you're on your own, boy. You're the only one equipped to do this and there can be no back-up. If you fail -"

"I won't fail," Negi insisted solemnly but with a smile. "Everything is going to be fine."

Evangeline looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Take this," Asuna said handing Negi a bundle. "The gate keeper said you have to get rid of most of your weapons. The only things you can take are this cloak, staff and lantern."

"You'll need the lantern to keep the shadow beasts away," the vampire-mage explained, "and the staff will channel your power to make up for the weapons you'll leave here."

"Right," Negi nodded before taking the things and walking off to change. Kotaro was close behind.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked his husband as he watched him shed weapon after weapon.

"Not exactly," Negi said honestly. "But I'm sure it will be fine." He turned to Kotaro. "Do you think I should run away?"

Kotaro glared. "Of course not!" he snapped but then his face softened. "I just want you to be safe. That's all."

The dog shared a soft glance with his husband before the mage went back to changing. Kotaro, in the meantime glanced at the staff and lantern.

The lantern was plain with glass sides and a metal top and bottom. Inside was a wick but no candle or place for oil. Kotaro assumed Negi's power would set it alight and make it work. The staff was even plainer. It was a long stick, maybe as tall as Negi and rubbed smooth all over. The top was rounded so it was not much use as a physical weapon. There weren't any magical symbols on it either.

Stopped Kotaro picked up the staff and looked at it more closely. Then, opening one of his hands, he ran his claws over his palm.

"Kotaro!" Negi screeched and grabbed his arm. Ever since his attempted suicide, the mage couldn't stand the sight of blood unless in the heat of battle. Of all the things for him to remember from when he was hexed, Kotaro wished he hadn't remembered that.

The dog smiled gently. "Relax. I'm giving you a little boost." He shook Negi off of him and squeezed his bloodied palm around the top of the staff. When he removed it his blood had stained the wood. "This way I can go in with you."

Negi paused a moment then smiled gently. "Thank you."

Negi took a breath as the gate opened. Kotaro and the girls had left a few minutes before. Apparently even the amount of energy the gate would receive from them standing near it might cause it to collapse. Negi was truly on his own. He had never felt this isolated before. Glancing tentatively to the side, he had to resist the urge to look behind him. He knew Kotaro would rush out to him at the slightest sign that was what he wanted him to do, and so that was the last thing he could indicate.

As he brought his eyes to face forward again he happened to see the top of the staff, smeared with Kotaro's blood. The staff, being magical despite his appearance, had absorbed the blood and distributed all down the body of the wood. At the top was a slightly darker stain which shimmered in the light as if wet though, Negi knew from touching it already, it was not.

The mage took a long deep breath. He could do this.

He took a few quiet steps beyond the gate and suddenly found himself in a dark cave. The lantern glowed ever so slightly in his hand. Glancing behind him he saw there was no going back. A rock wall blocked any retreat he might have wanted to take. As he took another tentative step forward, the wall advanced on his heels. No going back.

He stood contemplating this for a moment but his train of thought was broken by something grabbing his ankle. Without thinking he jerked back and impaled himself on sharp spikes suddenly protruding from the wall. With a yelp he jerked forward again. Pain, fear and uncertainly surge his powers and the lantern lit up.

Immediately, dozens of creatures, most of which Negi could only glimpse lurking in darkness, fled back from him. He held up the lantern to throw the light forward and the creatures hissed and dove farther from him. Glancing back at the wall he held the lantern a little higher. The remained impassive. However he raised his hands to it, spikes grew out it.

The mage decided to experiment. He thrust his palm at the wall. Spikes impaled his hand. As he removed his hand the spikes disappeared. He took a step forward. The wall followed him and the creature fled from the light. He hid the light, a little at a time. The beasts advanced on him as the darkness did. Nodding Negi approved of his findings.

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The spikes advanced from the wall as he drew near it and the creature fled from him as he drew near them. As long he kept moving forward, balanced was maintained.

Negi smiled as he surged forward. At least this would be simple.

Next: **6th Period: My Mission! Reunion and Recovery. Part two.**


	9. 7th Period: My Mission! Reunion and Recovery. Part two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cosmo Entelecheia has been defeated but Kotaro has taken a secret from the final battle that may end his partnership with Negi.

"You've done an incredible thing." The witch who was tending to Negi's wounds, the gatekeeper who has been sworn to protect the balance of the now destroyed magical portal, smiled as he looked him over. He was more badly beaten than he'd ever been but was victorious none-the-less.

"I have to commend you, Negi Springfield and you as well Kotaro Inugami."

Kotaro was tiredly lying back on a chair, lazily watching his husband's injuries begin to heal from the influence of the magic and trying not to itch as his own wounds were healing342qwert43.

"Heh. Well, what could I have done?" the dog muttered. His hands were ripped raw at the palms with his tail frayed and burnt badly. However, despite this there was a soft easy smile on his face. It was over, after all. "When I showed up there what else was I going to do but help him?"

The witch nodded as she turned to Negi. "Well, that is true and now there's merely one last thing to go over. We must make sure Cosmo Entelecheia's hex didn't affect your minds. It would terrible for you to have to suffer through any … unpleasant side effects because of your proximity to the hex maker."

"And how do you do that?" Kotaro asked with narrowed eyes. He didn't trust anything that was going to wriggle around in their minds. He trusted a former friend of Nagi Springfield even less.

"We'll take a quick peek at your memories from your time in the cave to see if anything was slipped in."

Kotaro stiffened slightly. "Do we … have to do that?"

"Relax Kotaro," Negi told the dog. "Everything will be okay. It will just be like when I go through your mind."

The dog smiled with unease and looked away. Negi didn't realize that his comment had made Kotaro feel worse, not better.

_Step, slide, step, slide, step, slide._

_The wall is advancing on him as he walks. The shadows ahead, the wall behind, he is literally stuck between a rock and hard place._

_The lantern is warm and bright against the shadows, throwing writhing yellow light over the hissing creatures. Eventually his careful steps do nothing to ease the advance of wall. It begins to rush and he quickens to avoid the spikes at his back._

_A rumbling, and the wall advancing creates a whoosh of air that is more than a sound but a solid presence threatening to tear the mage apart. Stone skewers as long as the staff he carries jut out awkwardly before being absorbed back into the cascading wall of rock, like the spray just before an ocean wave. He knows even one of those stone rods will be the end of him._

_Rush forward, rush forward._

_Just an arm's length out of mortal danger. One step ahead of death._

_In the flurry of movement, his connection to the lantern is weakened, almost severed. The shadows jump forward, clawing and scraping at his right side, the side with lantern, hoping to drag his light away from him. Sizzle, crack, screech, howl, the creatures incinerate under the touch of the light._

_But it only takes one. It only takes a single scratch. Negi trips, his left ankle catch up by a shadowy beast. He tumbles head-long to the floor, spikes beneath him, shadows and stone spears coming down on top of him. He is going to die if he doesn't move._

_So he rolls. He concentrates on the lantern and reestablishing the link with the magic item. The flare of light and heat is like fireworks going off. Popping, cracking, howling, hissing, the cave gives a scream of pain as Negi scrambled to his feet, aided by the wind he controls._

_In the air he moves. He needs to escape, to somehow wriggle out of his situation. But there is no escape. A dark cloud descends on him, the lantern lost within it. Negi feels the cold immaterial claws of his attackers grabbing at him. He struggles but to no avail. He is going to die there. Panic begins to set in._

_**Kotaro! Kotaro help me! Kotaro please. Kotaro!** _

_A warm light buds in his chest, sparkling before his eyes, shimmering in the dark and saving him_.

"Let's stop there," the witch muttered as she ran her fingers delicately over the bowl of enchanted water that served as the control center to the mind probing process.

Daintily, she shook her fingers of the water, which land in opaque silver droplets around her before vanishing. She moved with grace over to Kotaro who was lying on a recliner of his own, looking nervous.

"Relax, Kotaro. This won't hurt. It will be just like dreaming."

The dog demon scoffed. "Yeah. Dreaming. Dreaming of almost getting killed. That sounds like a nightmare to me."

"I keep telling you not to worry," Negi called soothingly from his recliner. "I'll be right here."

Kotaro felt the witch put her fingers, wet with the enchanted water, over his temples and resisted the urge to get up and flee. That Negi is right there, watching him, watching his memories, was what he was most afraid.

_It's almost like pain. It's not quite pain but it's just as strong. It's bubbling up from his chest and spreading out into his limbs. He feels lightheaded, all his muscles contract and tense against the feeling. He feels like he'd going to vomit. Doubling over the dog demon fully expects to see his picked-at lunch covering the floor at any moment. But no. What lurches from the very center of him isn't so average._

_Magic. It almost feels like his contract is being activated._

_He'd gotten used to the feeling again in that the weeks of his training. Negi and he training side by side again had made him know it well. It was like sex. Better than sex almost. A warm feeling of being completely one with another person, it wraps him up and he falls into and feels utterly secure in its strength._

_But this feel isn't quite like that. It reminds him of that but it's even stronger, and it's painful. He cries out. It feels like needles are forcing their way out of his skin._

_Oh god! It hurts!_

_His body is being ripped apart; He knows it._

_However, it is pain he hears in Negi's voice._

_**Kotaro! Kotaro help me!** _

_Unmistakable and in terrible anguish Negi screams for him. Kotaro straightens against the pain._

_**Kotaro please!** _

_Negi needs him. His ragged breaths get deeper. He ignores the pain. No. He accepts it. Whatever this is, whatever it is doing to him, it will bring him to Negi. He allows it to rip through him, to tear him to pieces and remake him all at once. He no longer cares that it hurts. He fist is flying before he understands he has begun to attack. He feels Negi close to him but can't figure out where he is. He hears him._

_**Kotaro!** _

_Yes. He is there with him and with the strength of their bond he cuts through the darkness. His claws slide through things he can barely see. When he lands, he's in a crater, sharply sloping walls push back against even sharper spikes. The two forces cancel one another and all is still._

_Kotaro looks back Negi is injured, but somehow, he is smiling. Their meeting has no words. The staff and lantern are gone. They don't look for them. Negi begins down the path. Kotaro follows._

"Lady Anora!"

The gatekeeper turned her eyes from the magical pool where Kotaro's memories were displayed to the door. There, one of her helpers stood breathless.

"This had better be important," the witch commented. Her voice was soft but her tone icy. A visible chill went through the young man at the door.

"Um. Yes. It is. I uh … saw something on the monitor."

"Something?" the witch muttered.

"Yes. The mages from the holding place of the Hex Maker. A few of them have shown up."

"What?" was the response from just about everyone in the room.

"Yea. I just saw two of them. I set someone out to get them."

The witch turned and seemed to consider the situation before smiling. "How pleasant. Perhaps we've made fewer sacrifices for this victory than we believed."

"Do you think," Negi asked hopefully, "that my father is out there too?"

The young man at door beamed. "Yea. Our tracking systems tell us that the mages have been dumped all over. He's probably out there somewhere."

Negi turned his face away, but could barely hide his smile.

"Yes. Well this is good news," the former gatekeeper said. "So let's finish this bit of business so you can go find your father."

Kotaro bristled and turned his head away. He was glad when the witch moved to inspect Negi's memories rather than his. He had to come up with a way to fool her magic and had to do it quick.

_There is a rushing. It's more than a sound. It's more than a force. It's like the whole world in crashing in on them._

_Negi works quickly. His hands flying over the machine; he breaks through the hex-maker's defenses, trying to ignore the sounds of battle. It feels wrong to be spell casting while the battle rages around him, since he is a combat mage, but he works without pause._

_The machine comes apart as he gets past its defense. He lurches forward as something behind him hits him, but he doesn't turn around. He can feel Kotaro. He's in pain; he's suffering. Still, Negi can't turn around. He doesn't turn around._

_Finally, the machine begins to collapse in on itself. It all comes apart, falling nearly on his head. He is falling with it. He screams in shock. He can't catch himself. Kotaro's hand reaches for him in chaos. He grabs it. The place is coming apart around them. They must leave._

_A wind spell carries them like lighting through all rubble. There is not exit. They are merely dodging death. Negi looks for a way out. He can see nothing. There is nothing. Falling spikes, burning pieces of what was the hex-maker, the last bits of the sentient cave roaring to life in a kamikaze-like torrent, that's all that surrounds them. For the second time, a sick feeling sinks into Negi's stomach._

_They are going to die. They are successful, but they are going to die here. He is afraid. Not so much of death itself. No, not death. But he is afraid for Amaterasu. She will never know them. He is afraid for Kotaro. He didn't have to die here with him. He is afraid for Asuna; she will never recover from this. It's over. They are dying._

_Still, he can't stop trying. He feels as if the world is ending but he is still reaching out. Kotaro is defending him and he can't stop searching for a way out. He can't lie down and die. Maybe, in the end, that's just not his style. He wants to, needs to, die fighting._

_And there in the distance is something he doesn't expect to see. Something he wasn't looking for. His father. He's falling out of a containment pod. There are other mages around him. They're all falling into a soupy, magical mess at the bottom of the cavern and disappearing into oblivion._

_Negi grits his teeth, swings around. Kotaro is shouting, telling him to watch it. He has to reach him. He has to save him._

_This is not a rescue mission. That was what his father had said. To hell with that._

_He swings as low as he dares, dragging Kotaro unwillingly along. They dip under the chaos. Kotaro doesn't like it but defends him. He defends, until that is, something hits him. He slumps forward, dazed but not unconscious. Negi can tell by their bond. However, Negi cannot go forward. He won't go forward with Kotaro like that._

_He pulls up hard, flings them straight up. His father is lost to his sight, and he doesn't even glance to see him disappear forever in that murky mess._

_Negi glares straight up. He doesn't know where he's going, doesn't care. He flies as fast as his powers let him. The speed slows Kotaro's recovery from the hit; he is unused to the speed and dizziness. Negi tells him to just hold on, murmurs so low he knows he can't be heard. The sounds around them are so loud they've become silent._

_And then everything smashes and Negi takes a breath of air._

"And we know what happens from there." The witch took her hands out of the water and shook the liquid from her fingers. "You burst through the top of the mountain, releasing much of the magic along with you and were picked up by my students shortly there-after."

"So I suppose I pass?" Negi asked in a relaxed tone.

"You do. Now you, Kotaro."

Kotaro was gripping the side of his chair like it was threatening to throw him. His knuckles were white. The witch eyed him but said nothing. If Kotaro wanted her to stop, he didn't say anything. Anora dipped her fingers into the water, tapped Kotaro's temples then placed the digits back into the water. The dog held his breath and closed his eyes. This was it.

_Pain. There is more pain than he's ever experienced. He is frayed like rope. His palms are bloody, ripped raw to the flesh. He thinks his bones show on his knuckles. But he can't stop._

_The hex maker is coming after Negi. He will protect him. No matter what he will protect Negi! The pain is a reminder of what he has to lose._

_He fights. He fights like nothing else matters and throws his whole soul into every punch. He is blind to everything around him. He knows Negi only through their magical connection. And so he is surprised when he does see something._

_Nagi. It is Nagi Springfield. Locked in a pod of some kind he is fast asleep or unconscious._

_Kotaro looks at him. He knows to his very core that he should alert Negi to his presence. It is the right thing to do. But he can't. He doesn't. He keeps fighting and tries not to look at that horrible spot on the cavern wall, even though it keeps wringing into his sight._

_When it is over and they are looking for a way out, Kotaro is glad to leave the bastard to drown in the magical quicksand. But there is no way out._

_Negi flying, him defending, they are rushing in circles but going nowhere. They are going to die. He isn't afraid of death. He used to not even care if he lived or died. Death is not something he fears. But fights because that is what he does. He keeps fighting even if death is certain because it is what he knows._

_But then they dive. They are spiraling down, down. Flying towards that sticky magical death pond, and Kotaro knows. He understands what is happening without a thought. There is only one reason for Negi to be driving them towards that one way path into eternity. Nagi. They are going to save Nagi._

_Kotaro shouts at Negi. He tells him go back, turn back, forget this suicide. However, Negi doesn't hear him or doesn't understand._

_Or doesn't care._

_He dives and Kotaro can do nothing but keep going._

_That last thing he wants is to die for the sake of Nagi Springfield. He turned his eyes way from him before because he wished he would disappear. But now he'll save him, if he has no choice._

_However, fate sides with him. Korato feels something hit him. He is dazed but can feel the shift in their movements. They are going up, up, up. He doesn't know and doesn't care why, but they are leaving Nagi Springfield to his fate and flying up together, him and Negi._

_The whole world hushes, holding its breath and waiting. Everything breaths at once._

Kotaro shook. Not violently but a noticeable tremor ran continuously through his body. He had, without noticing, cut gashes in the arm rest of the chair he was sitting. The room was completely silent.

"Well," the ex-gatekeeper muttered at last. "You pass. That's good." She couldn't even feign a nonchalant attitude.

Kotaro could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him. He didn't need to look around to know they were all watching him, judging him. Because now they knew. They knew what he done – or at least what he had tried to do.

Tentatively he looked over at Negi and saw that his eyes were not on him but on the screen where Korato's thoughts and memories had just been displayed. The dog watched, looking for signs of his husband's thoughts and emotions, but found nothing. The whole room was still. Even Evangeline wasn't speaking.

Kotaro couldn't take the silence. He couldn't take all those eyes watching him, judging him. He got up, ripping the wires and little tubes from his body and left. The farther away from the room he got the faster he moved. He didn't know where he was going but he had to escape those eyes. He rushed out of the building into the sunlight which hit at the same time as his name.

"Kotaro!"

It was Negi. No. He couldn't face him. He couldn't see the hate in his eyes.

"Kotaro!"

He kept going, on and on away from the house, back towards the gate as if he could go back and change things. Exhaustion hit him as he approached it and he stumbled, landing on his knees. The sound of footfalls behind him made him panic.

"Kotaro," Negi said as he approached. He was huffing and flushed. He had obviously worked his body too hard.

Kotaro had too. He could hardly keep still under the onslaught of his own breathing. "Negi," he managed to choke out. "I'm … sorry."

Negi looked at him. His eyes were storm of emotions. Anger, of course. Confusion, naturally. Love, but for Kotaro or Nagi? That was the question that Kotaro feared the answer to.

"Why did you do it?" Negi asked as he breathing returned to normal. "Why would you want my father to die? Why would trick me into leaving him? Kotaro, look at me!" Negi was by his side on ground before Kotaro could get away. "Why Kotaro?"

The dog tried to wriggle away but Negi, the stronger of the two Kotaro was loathe to admit, held him too tightly and too desperately. He loved him and wouldn't let him go. That set Kotaro off.

"Why?" he repeated. "You want to know why?" he snatched Negi's arms from around him and yanked up his sleeve. There along his arm was the long tan line that was proof of his suicide attempt. "This! This is why!"

Negi turned his eyes away it. He couldn't stand the look of the scars. He never looked at them. Kotaro growled.

"No! Look! Look at it! That's why I did it! That's why I hate him, why I can't forgive him! He nearly killed you!"

"It was an accident!" Negi countered.

Kotaro groaned in frustration. "It's always an accident! How was Nagi supposed to know that trap was there in case he ever came back? How was Nagi supposed to know his ex-girlfriend would attack his son when she saw him? How was Nagi supposed to know you'd try to kill yourself under the influence of that spell? How is it ever his fault?"

Kotaro had stood up and was pacing in anger at this point, shouting at the sky. "It was an accident! It is always an accident! But you know what? I'm sick of accidents! His accident nearly got you killed, and I can't take this anymore."

He stood before Negi and stared down at him in rage. "My daughter nearly lost her father because of him. She nearly grew up like you did, with only a vague memory to hold onto." He gritted his teeth. "Even now, it seems she'll grow up like you." The absolute, unmistakable look of hatred marred the dog's features. "Chasing after the back of a father too busy to even turn to see his own child."

He shook his head in rage or refusal of the very idea, or both. "I won't let that happen. I refuse to watch my child smile as she suffers. I won't let her endure the pain Nagi put you through, Negi. You can come home and put this behind you. You can leave the past in the past and move forward with me and our child or you keep chasing that image of your father. It's your choice, but don't expect me to wait for you anymore. I won't do it."

Kotaro turned and started back towards the house. He could feel it again, eyes watching his back. But he didn't care now. He had taken a stand and there would be no going back, even if it broke his heart.

XXX

The road home seemed very long to Kotaro who was suddenly very aware of his separation from Negi. Sure, he had created the separation himself, but that knowledge only made it worse. He longed to talk to Negi. He wanted to say he was only angry and didn't mean the things he said, but he knew he couldn't do that. He had been angry, but he had meant every word. He couldn't let his pain back him into a place he didn't want to be.

He was glad to curl up in his own bed with his child and sleep.

However, even there he couldn't escape it. He felt where Negi should have been and wasn't and missed his heat. He felt the empty space crowding him from Negi's side of the bed. They had only began to sleep together like they used to a short while ago, and even then they were exhausted from training and fell into deep sleeps immediately. Kotaro felt like he hadn't laid down with his husband and felt his warmth around him in years. He felt like he'd never feel that again.

With a sigh, the dog told himself to get used to the idea of sleeping alone again and moved into the bathroom.

The morning was warm and bright. It was the last days of summer, hot and sticky with the promise of fall in the wind. Kotaro liked this season. It was during this season that he first became a student at Mahora Academy. He had come because of Negi, stayed because of Negi, made friends because of Negi. His whole world had changed because of Negi. The bright sun reminded him of the man's bright smile. He had plucked him out of his dark life as a hanyou and brought him into the dazzling light.

The dog almost smiled, but the dark cloud of reality wiped it from his face. He was alone. He would be alone from now on.

With another sigh, he retreated into the bedroom from the bathroom to pick up Amaterasu. When he arrived in the room it came as a shock that she wasn't on the bed. But she was a strong little pup and could crawl pretty fast. Kotaro walked slowly to bed, wondering if the fall from the bed to the floor would slow his pup down (and doubting it would), as the smell of fried meat reached his nose.

He turned a bit, looking back over his shoulder. It was probably Asuna or Konoka and Setsuna, come to cheer him up with food. He hadn't told anyone about his and Negi's fight, (break-up, falling out, future divorce?) but anyone could see they weren't right. It could even be Evangeline, seeing as she doted on Amaterasu so much. Feeling grateful for the attention, Kotaro turned and headed towards the kitchen.

In the small kitchen the smell of breakfast mixed with sunlight to form a wonderful, hazy atmosphere. Amaterasu was busying herself with a sausage on her plate, getting grease everywhere. Kotaro smiled affectionately at the child.

"Chichi!" she squealed. Her little claws had successfully ripped through the skin of the sausage casing and the pride of a kill was plain on her little wolf-ish features. Well it wasn't quite a kill but it was … Chichi? Had she said Chichi, not Haha?

The dog took the last step that brought him into the kitchen from the doorway. At the stove, Negi was cooking and dancing a little to whatever was playing in his earbuds.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man," Negi muttered as he swung the spatial. "Scaramouche! Scaramouche! Will you do the fandango?"

Kotaro bit his lips shut to keep from laughing. Negi always sang in English when he cooked. It was a foolish habit that Kotaro was fairly sure he alone knew about or witnessed.

"Thunderbolt and lighting, very, very frightening me! Galileo, Galileo. Galileo, Galileo. Galileo, Figaro. Magnifico – oo – oo – oo – oo – ooo!"

Kotaro swallowed the laughter that threatened to pop out of his mouth. If this was a dream, he hoped to stay for some time. It was like nothing had happened at all.

Next, Negi would turn to pick up Amaterasu and dance with her. If she was anything like her father, and she was, she'd try to sing along.

"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me." Negi swung around and took a step not doubt to pick up Amaterasu and sing with her. She was already bouncing in excitement over it in her highchair. However, Negi never got to her.

"He's just a poor – " Negi stopped short when his eyes hit Kotaro. The dog stood there smiling, still trying not to laugh.

"You should have been a singer," he remarked idly.

"I wouldn't have met you if I had been a singer," Negi responded quietly as he pulled his earbuds from his ears.

"You would have been rich and famous and adored by millions," Kotaro countered. They did this. They always used to do this when Negi sang. The next line was:

"I'd rather be here with you, than anywhere else. Riches and fame can't compare to you and our baby. Nothing can."

That wasn't it. It was supposed to be: "What's the adoration of unseen millions when I've got a captive audience right here at home?" and then Negi was supposed to start singing again, not stand there staring at him so intently.

However, Kotaro liked the change. He smiled very softly, almost secretively. "Good to know."

Negi didn't respond to that. He just went back to cooking. Amaterasu whined over the lack of music. Kotaro put Negi's iPod on the dock and sang a little himself before Negi joined in again.

They had breakfast and went on with the day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chichi = father
> 
> Haha = mother
> 
> Chichi and Haha are actually used to refer to other people's family but as a baby I think Ama-chan would have an easier time saying those words than Otousan and Okaasan. Plus since she is a baby I think she'd get confused on what words to use anyway.
> 
> Negi is singing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen if you didn't know. It's a classic! He was going to sing Rock and Roll Jesus by Kid Rock but I got the line "It's all sex, drugs and rock n roll" and said to myself: "Would I sing that line with my toddler? No? Didn't think so." And so I changed the song.


End file.
